Emergence of Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase-Producing Escherichia coli in Community Hospitals throughout North Carolina: A Harbinger of a Wider Problem in the United States?

Community-onset urinary tract infections due to extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli have become increasingly common worldwide but have been considered to be uncommon infections in the United States. We report the emergence and subsequent rapid increase in the incidence of these infections in community hospitals throughout North Carolina since 2006.