The bactericidal effect of far-UVC on ESBL-producing Escherichia coli.

Because extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) infections can cause life-threatening disease and effective treatments need to be developed, we examined the bactericidal effect of far-ultraviolet C (far-UVC) light therapy on ESBL-producing Escherichia coli (E. coli). The bactericidal effect on 2 types of ESBL-producing E. coli was the same as that on the wild strain although the results of drug resistance tests varied among these strains. We believe that irradiation with far-UVC is effective in preventing infection by ESBL-producing E. coli in health care settings.