Evaluation of Therapeutic Management in ESBL-infected Patients or Carriers by Providing and Sharing a Free Tool - the "ESBL toolKIT"and Interventional Study of a Prospective Cohort of HIV+ Patients Searching for Possible Sexual Transmission Factors in ESBL Carriers

Bacterial resistance to antibiotics is a major public health problem. The epidemiology of enteric bacteria including E. coli is changing rapidly with the global spread of a resistance mechanism type beta-lactamase extended spectrum (ESBL), responsible for resistance to almost all penicillins and cephalosporins. The resistance is up to 75% for Quinolones, 67% for Cotrimoxazole and 30-50% for Aminoglycosides.

The main phenomena causing this problem are:

* The selection pressure by antibiotics, in their use in humans or animals * The hand transmission via the digestive reservoir (faeces) * Easy spread of resistance mechanism in Enterobacteriaceae due to transferable genetic support (plasmid)

In this context, we decided to implement a cross-border study to improve and accelerate the management, diagnosis and treatment of patients with ESBL in close collaboration between medical and paramedical staff in hospitals, laboratories and private medical offices.

The objective of this study is to standardize diagnostic and therapeutic measures allowing a better and rapid treatment of patients and thus prevent the appearence of ESBL bacteria in the PACA region and Liguria by providing a tool : The "Kit ESBL".

The " ESBL ToolKIT" (also translated into Italian) includes:

* Information on epidemiological data * A checklist edited for extra-hospital use (private practitioners, health care units other than hospitals) * A checklist edited for hospital use * A leaflet BMR for the patient explaining the problematic as well as hygiene measures * Therapeutical protocols for hospital use and extra hospital use * An sample letter for the attending physician

The objective of this prospective multicenter cohort study is to evaluate the use of this kit, and to measure its impact on:

* The prescription of appropriate antibiotics * The measures taken to prevent man to man transmission * The quality of information provided to the patient

In this context we are also performing a multicentre prospective interventional cohort of HIV+ patients searching for possible sexual transmission factors in ESBL (extended-spectrum ß-lacatamase-producing bacteria) carriers.

We will also try to determine if other sexually transmitted infections associated (syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia) are contributing factors to ESBL carriage.

So far there is no data documented on ESBL-carriage in a population of HIV-positive patients.