Extended-spectrum-β-lactamase-positive Escherichia coli mainly adds to, rather than replaces, extended-spectrum-β-lactamase-negative E. coli in causing bacteraemia in Hong Kong, 2000–10.

The article examines the prevalence of Escherichia coli producing extended-spectrum Β-lactamases (ESBL) in Hong Kong, China, based on the database of microbiology from a healthcare region from 2000 to 2010. The database was extracted and analyzed using linear regression in order to assess changes in the burden of Escherichia coli bacteremia. Variables such as hospital admissions and patient-days are also considered in this assessment.