[Correspondence] Context-dependent and ecological drivers of neonatal invasive Escherichia coli population dynamics

Abstract

We read with great interest the Article by Ann E Snaith and colleagues, published in The Lancet Microbe, that described the long-term genomic dynamics of invasive Escherichia coli in neonates.1 The scale and temporal depth of their dataset provide a unique opportunity to examine pathogen population dynamics in a setting with minimal previous antimicrobial exposure. The authors therefore conclude that antimicrobial resistance has contributed little to shaping population structure. However, we suggest that this interpretation might underestimate both the context-dependent nature of antimicrobial resistance selection and the potential influence of sampling.