ABSTRACT
The frequency of extended spectrum beta - lactamase [ESBL] producing E. coil in a tertiary hospital in Enugu, Enugu State, Nigeria was studied. Clinical specimens were collected from patients attending the Medical Microbiology Laboratory unit of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital [UNTH], Enugu. Isolates of E. coil were obtained from various specimen types namely, urine [19]; blood [25], wound [52], and sputum [32]. Susceptibility studies were carried out using agar diffusion method by Kirby and Bauer, while ESBL detection on these isolates was carried out on Mueller Hinton agar using the double disc diffusion method. The frequency of ESBL producing E. coli among the clinical isolates was 11.4% [15] and ESBL producing organisms were isolated more frequently from blood [6] followed by wound [5], urine [3] and sputum [1]. Urgent measures to avert the further spread of ESBL producing organisms in Enugu, Enugu State, Nigeria is a compelling necessity