Influence of plasmid loss rates on the evolution of E. coli resistance phenotypes in the hospital environment. Ec0, susceptible, no resistance plasmids (pink line); EcA, PL1-AbAR (red); EcC, PL3-AbAR-AbCR (light fluorescent green); EcF, AbF*R (violet); EcAC, PL1-AbAR plus PL3-AbAR-AbCR (light blue); EcAF, PL1-AbAR plus AbF*R (brown); EcCF, PL3, AbAR-AbCR plus AbF*R (olive green); EcACF, PL1-AbAR plus PL3-AbAR-AbCR plus AbF*R (dark blue). Compensation rate for plasmid fitness costs was fixed at 10−5. Numbers are expressed in hecto-cells (one unit = 100 cells in the microbiota). Note that frequencies of plasmid loss equal to or higher than 10−3 impair the fixation of all E. coli lineages harboring resistance plasmids, but at lower rates of plasmid loss, beyond 10−5, E. coli populations with extended resistance phenotypes steadily increase over time.