Long-term care and treatment facilities (LTCT) appear to represent significant reservoirs for Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase-Producing Enterobacteriaceae (ESBL-PE), which could be linked to an extensive use of antibiotics and urinary catheters and other devices. The aims of this subproject are therefore: to determine the prevalence and incidence and the relative risk of colonization and infection with ESBL-PE per 1,000 patient-days during a stay at an LTCT, and to determine the risk factors for colonization upon admission and for transmission from patient to patient. An additional aim is to characterize the transmission dynamics and the risk factors for acquiring ESBL-PE in long-term care facilities in countries with different rates of resistance.

The project is part of a transnational research collaboration under the Joint Programming Initiative on Antimicrobial Resistance (JPIAMR). The collaboration involves scientists from Germany, Spain, Switzerland, the UK, France and the Netherlands working together on a solution to this research question. The funding measure pursues the aim of bringing together relevant research groups with complementary expertise and resources from the participating countries. Cooperative research approaches will achieve progress in preventing, monitoring and combating antibiotic resistance which could not be achieved on a national level.