Gram-negative, MRSA, MSSA bacteraemia and C. difficile infections, from March 2025 to March 2026: monthly data trends
Updated 6 May 2026
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/mrsa-mssa-gram-negative-bacteraemia-and-cdi-monthly-data-2025-to-2026/gram-negative-mrsa-mssa-bacteraemia-and-c-difficile-infections-from-march-2025-to-march-2026-monthly-data-trends
This bulletin provides a brief overview of all cases reported through the national mandatory surveillance of bacteraemia and C. difficile infections (CDI) for the latest month.
The UKHSA data dashboard presents supplementary monthly data visualisations of trends covering the latest 13-month period, with options to filter data by location. For longer term trends, detailed epidemiological commentaries covering the period from the beginning of surveillance onward are presented within the quarterly and annual reports within this statistical series.
Main points
Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteraemia
In March 2026:
• overall, 3,681 E. coli bacteraemia cases were reported, an increase of 1.3% when compared with the same month of the previous year (n=3,634)
• hospital-onset, healthcare-associated (HOHA) E. coli bacteraemia cases decreased by 3.4% (n=691) when compared with the same month of the previous year (n=715)
• community-onset, healthcare-associated (COHA) E. coli bacteraemia cases increased by 15.5% (n=590) when compared with the same month of the previous year (n=511)
• community-onset, community-associated (COCA) E. coli bacteraemia cases decreased by 0.2% (n=2,399) when compared with the same month of the previous year (n=2,404)
Klebsiella species (spp.) bacteraemia
In March 2026:
• overall, 1,154 Klebsiella spp. bacteraemia cases were reported, an increase of 9.5% when compared with the same month of the previous year (n=1,054)
• HOHA Klebsiella spp. bacteraemia cases decreased by 9.6% (n=309) when compared with the same month of the previous year (n=342)
• COHA Klebsiella spp. bacteraemia cases increased by 21.4% (n=187) when compared with the same month of the previous year (n=154)
• COCA Klebsiella spp. bacteraemia cases increased by 17.9% (n=658) when compared with the same month of the previous year (n=558)
Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) bacteraemia
In March 2026:
• overall, 358 P. aeruginosa bacteraemia cases were reported, an increase of 7.5% when compared with the same month of the previous year (n=333)
• HOHA P. aeruginosa bacteraemia cases increased by 2.4% (n=126) when compared with the same month of the previous year (n=123)
• COHA P. aeruginosa bacteraemia cases decreased by 20.6% (n=54) when compared with the same month of the previous year (n=68)
• COCA P. aeruginosa bacteraemia cases increased by 25.4% (n=178) when compared with the same month of the previous year (n=142)
Meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteraemia
In March 2026:
• overall, 90 MRSA bacteraemia cases were reported, an increase of 9.8% when compared with the same month of the previous year (n=82)
• HOHA MRSA bacteraemia cases increased by 29.2% (n=31) when compared with the same month of the previous year (n=24)
• COHA MRSA bacteraemia cases decreased by 0.0% (n=13) when compared with the same month of the previous year (n=13)
• COCA MRSA bacteraemia cases increased by 2.2% (n=46) when compared with the same month of the previous year (n=45)
Meticillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) bacteraemia
In March 2026:
• overall, 1,141 MSSA bacteraemia cases were reported, a decrease of 3.4% when compared with the same month of the previous year (n=1,181)
• HOHA MSSA bacteraemia cases increased by 2.4% (n=336) when compared with the same month of the previous year (n=328)
• COHA MSSA bacteraemia cases decreased by 18.4% (n=124) when compared with the same month of the previous year (n=152)
• COCA MSSA bacteraemia cases decreased by 3.0% (n=680) when compared with the same month of the previous year (n=701)
C. difficile infections (CDI)
In March 2026:
• overall, 1,423 CDI cases were reported, an increase of 4.4% when compared with the same month of the previous year (n=1,363)
• HOHA CDI cases decreased by 10% (n=582) when compared with the same month of the previous year (n=647)
• COHA CDI cases increased by 15.3% (n=279) when compared with the same month of the previous year (n=242)
• COIA CDI cases increased by 60.2% (n=157) when compared with the same month of the previous year (n=98)
• COCA CDI cases increased by 7.7% (n=404) when compared with the same month of the previous year (n=375)
Data sources and methodology
For further information on our data sources and methodology used to analyse data in this report, please refer to our quality and methodology information (QMI) report. Due to monthly fluctuations and potential shifts in seasonal patterns across the year, comparisons between individual months to the corresponding month in the previous year should be interpreted with caution.
Background information
This publication forms part of the range of accredited Official Statistics outputs routinely published by UKHSA which include monthly and annual reports on the mandatory surveillance of MRSA, MSSA and E. coli, Klebsiella spp. and P. aeruginosa bacteraemia and CDI.
Data for this report was extracted from UKHSA’s HCAI Data Capture System (DCS) on 20 April 2026.
Further information and contact details
Feedback and contact information
For any enquiries or feedback on this report, or to request copies of this report in PDF format, please contact mandatory.surveillance@ukhsa.gov.uk
Accredited official statistics
Our statistical practice is regulated by the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR). OSR sets the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics that all producers of Official Statistics should adhere to. You are welcome to contact us directly by mandatory.surveillance@ukhsa.gov.uk with any comments about how we meet these standards. Alternatively, you can contact OSR by emailing regulation@statistics.gov.uk or via the OSR website.
These official statistics were independently reviewed by the OSR in May 2022. They comply with the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics and should be labelled ‘accredited official statistics’. Accredited official statistics are called National Statistics in the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007. Further explanation of accredited official statistics can be found on the Office for Statistics Regulation website.