A new study has found that the diversity of E. coli bacteria in hospitalized patients is much lower than expected. The findings have implications for the understanding of antibiotic resistance, as E. coli is a major cause of hospital-acquired infections.

The study, published in PLOS Biology, found that the diversity of E. coli bacteria in hospitalized patients is much lower than expected, with only a few strains making up the majority of bacteria present. This is in contrast to the diversity seen in healthy individuals, where many more different strains of E. coli can be found. The researchers suggest that the reduced diversity may be due to the selection pressure of the hospital environment and antibiotic treatment, which favors certain strains of E. coli over others.

The findings have important implications for the understanding of antibiotic resistance, as the reduced diversity of E. coli in hospitalized patients means that fewer strains of bacteria are available to develop resistance to drugs. The authors suggest that future strategies to prevent the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria should focus on preserving the diversity of E. coli in hospitalized patients.

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source: Phys.org