Impact of Intrapartum Azithromycin on the Carriage and Antibiotic Resistance of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae in Mothers and Their Newborns: A Substudy of a Randomized, Double-Blind Trial Conducted in The Gambia and Burkina Faso.

Background: Limited data exist on the effects of intrapartum azithromycin on the prevalence of carriage and antibiotic resistance of Enterobacterales.

Methods: We conducted a randomized trial in The Gambia and Burkina Faso where women received intrapartum azithromycin (2 g) or placebo. We determined the impact of treatment on the prevalence of carriage and antibiotic resistance of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae by analyzing rectal swabs (RS), nasopharyngeal swabs (NPS), breast milk, and rectovaginal swabs (RVS).