The HPA has collected mandatory  E. coli data since 2011. Prior to this date voluntary data were collected from

In June 2011 surveillance of E. coli became mandatory; since then the HPA has been managing this mandatory system on behalf of the Department of Health (DH).

Escherichia coli bacteraemia epidemiological data 2010 

Summary

This report covers voluntary reports of bacteraemia due to Escherichia coli, made to the Health Protection Agency between 2006 and 2010 from participating laboratories in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.  The reporting definition used in this analysis is where E. coli is identified as the causative agent of the bacteraemia through culturing techniques.  Data were extracted on 14^th April 2011 and are provisional as reports for 2010 may increase due to late reporting.

Key Points

• There has been a year-on-year increase in the number of reports via the voluntary surveillance scheme of E. coli bacteraemia.
• In 2010 there were 27,055 reports for E. coli, which was a 5% increase compared to 2009 (25,671) (figure 1). In comparison, the total number of all bacteraemia reported via LabBase2 remained largely static for 2009 and 2010 at 92,729 and 91,306, respectively.
• Since 2006 there has been a 35% increase in E. coli bacteraemia reports compared with 0.2% for all bacteraemia.
• When the data are grouped by age, the rate per 100,000 population of E. coli bacteraemia is highest in patients aged 65 years and over and in those under 1 year olds. In both these age groups the rates were highest for males.  Among those aged 1-14 and 15-44 years, the rates of E. coli bacteraemia per 100,000 population were highest among females.
• The overall population rate of infection of E. coli bacteraemia for England, Wales and Northern Ireland in 2010 is 47.8 per 100,000 population (figure 3).
• There has been very little change in the rates of non-susceptibility to key antimicrobials (cephalosporins, quinolones and gentamicin) from 2006-2010 (table 2).
• The percentages of isolates testing non-susceptible to either ciprofloxacin or gentamicin remain very similar to 2009 at 21% and 9%, respectively.
• The percentage of isolates testing non-susceptible to the extended-spectrum cephalosporins ceftazidime and cefotaxime remains is the same as that of 2009 at 10%.
• All isolates reported as tested for either imipenem or meropenem remained susceptible.  A small but growing number of E. coli resistant to these agents are referred to Antibiotic Resistance Monitoring & Reference Laboratory (ARMRL), but are largely from samples other than blood.

Full report: Escherichia coli bacteraemia in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, 2006-2010 (PDF, 91 KB)

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to our microbiology colleagues in laboratories across England, Wales and Northern Ireland for their data contributions. The support from colleagues with the Health Protection Agency, Antibiotic Resistance Monitoring and Reference Laboratory, in particular, is valued in the preparation of this report. Feedback and specific queries about this report are welcome and can be sent to hcai.amrdivision@hpa.org.uk

• Past voluntary surveillance reports of Escherichia coli bacteraemia
  E.coli voluntary reports have been published in full in CRR weekly, and summarised in HPR weekly, from 2001 onward.
  Added/updated: 11 January 2012