Increasing antibiotics-resistant E. coli cases represent new threat in EU/EEA: ECDC

STOCKHOLM, May 11 (Xinhua) -- The increasing cases of certain kinds of antibiotics-resistant E. coli bacteria represent a new threat to the countries of the European Union (EU)/the European Economic Area (EEA), the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said Thursday.

EU/EEA countries are reporting a growing number of E. coli strains carrying the blaNDM-5 gene that makes them resistant to carbapenems, antibiotics that are often used as the last resort to treat serious E. coli infections, the ECDC wrote in a press release.