An observational study associates azithromycin use with accelerated stool decolonization in patients infected with Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O104:H4. Even if this association is causal, however, the value of late-in-illness treatment is not established and the results provide no support for early-in-illness treatment of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli infections.
- Michael E. Seifert
- Phillip I. Tarr