Just over one third of invasive Escherichia coli samples collected from patients with bloodstream infections across 26 countries were resistant to multiple classes of antibiotics, according to a global analysis published in Clinical Infectious Diseases. The Difference Between Gut E. Coli and Invasive DiseaseMost people encounter E. coli as either a normal intestinal resident or as the cause of foodborne illness with diarrhea. Study authors noted that resistance to carbapenems, third-generation cephalosporins, aminoglycosides, or fluoroquinolones is an obstacle to successful treatment of invasive E. coli disease. Of 10,098 invasive E. coli isolates from 26 countries collected between 2011 and 2023, 34% were multidrug resistant, with wide variation by country. Older adults, people with urinary catheters or recurrent urinary infections, those with diabetes or weakened immune systems, and people recently hospitalized or treated abroad.