Study calls for screening for drug-resistant E. coli in capsulized fecal transplants

Rigorous donor screening for drug resistant E. coli in fecal microbiota transplants (FMT) is an essential means of preventing infections among patients, particularly those who are immunocompromised, says a study in The New England Journal of Medicine by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). The publication describes cases of infection in two patients who received FMT capsules containing drug resistant Extended Spectrum Beta-Lactamase (ESBL) E. coli. One patient died and the other was cured of infection.