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Virulence Profile, Antibiotic Resistance, and Phylogenetic Relationships among Escherichia coli Strains Isolated from the Feces and Urine of Hospitalized Patients. Pathogens 2022; 11:pathogens11121528. [PMID: 36558862 PMCID: PMC9782660 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11121528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 12/04/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Extra-intestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) may inhabit the human gut microbiota without causing disease. However, if they reach extra-intestinal sites, common cystitis to bloodstream infections may occur, putting patients at risk. To examine the human gut as a source of endogenous infections, we evaluated the E. coli clonal diversity of 18 inpatients' guts and their relationship with strains isolated from urinary tract infection (UTI) in the same hospital. Random amplified polymorphic DNA evaluated the clonal diversity, and the antimicrobial susceptibility was determined by disk diffusion. One isolate of each clone detected was sequenced, and their virulome and resistome were determined. Overall, 177 isolates were screened, among which 32 clones were identified (mean of two clones per patient), with ExPEC strains found in over 75% of the inpatients' guts. Endogenous infection was confirmed in 75% of the cases. ST10, ST59, ST69, ST131, and ST1193 clones and critical mobile drug-resistance encoding genes (blaCTX-M-15, blaOXA-1, blaDHA-1, aac(6')-lb-cr, mcr-1.26, qnrB4, and qnrB19) were identified in the gut of inpatients. The genomic analysis highlighted the diversity of the fecal strains, colonization by lactose-negative E. coli, the high frequency of ExPEC in the gut of inpatients without infections, and the presence of β-lactamase producing E. coli in the gut of inpatients regardless of the previous antibiotics' usage. Considering that we found more than one ExPEC clone in the gut of several inpatients, surveillance of inpatients' fecal pathogens may prevent UTI caused by E. coli in the hospital and dissemination of risk clones.
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Kang HJ, Lim SK, Lee YJ. Genetic characterization of third- or fourth-generation cephalosporin-resistant avian pathogenic Escherichia coli isolated from broilers. Front Vet Sci 2022; 9:1055320. [PMID: 36504870 PMCID: PMC9732669 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.1055320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The third- or fourth-generation cephalosporins (3GC or 4 GC) are classified as "critically important antimicrobials for human medicine" by WHO, but resistance to these drugs is increasing rapidly in avian pathogenic E. coli (APEC). This study investigated the distribution and genetic characteristics of 3GC- or 4 GC-resistant APEC isolates from five major integrated broiler operations in Korea. The prevalence of 3GC- or 4GC-resistant APEC isolates in 1-week-old broilers was the highest in farms of operation C (53.3%); however, the highest prevalence of these isolates in 4-week-old broilers was the highest on the farms of operation A (60.0%), followed by operations E (50.0%) and C (35.7%). All 49 3GC- or 4GC-resistant APEC isolates had at least one β-lactamase-encoding gene. The most common β-lactamase-encoding genes was extended-spectrum β-lactamase gene, bla CTX-M-15, detected in 24 isolates (49.0%), followed by bla TEM-1 (32.7%). Sixteen isolates (32.7%) harbored class 1 integrons, and four isolates (8.2%) showed different gene cassette-arrangements. However, only 1 of 26 isolates harboring class 2 integrons carried a gene cassette. Furthermore, both CRISPR 1 and 2 arrays were detected in most isolates (36 isolates; 73.5%), followed by CRISPR 2 (18.4%) and CRISPR 1 (4.1%). Interestingly, CRISPR 2 was significantly more prevalent in multidrug resistant (MDR)-APEC isolates than in non-MDR APEC isolates, whereas CRISPR 3 and 4 were significantly more prevalent in non-MDR APEC isolates (each 11.1%; p < 0.05). None of the protospacers of CRISPR arrays were directly associated with antimicrobial resistance. Our findings indicate that the distribution and characteristics of 3GC or 4GC-resistant APEC isolates differed among the integrated broiler operations; moreover, improved management protocols are needed to control the horizontal transmission of 3GC or 4GC-resistant APEC isolates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyo Jung Kang
- College of Veterinary Medicine and Zoonoses Research Institute, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, South Korea
| | - Suk-Kyung Lim
- Bacterial Disease Division, Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, Gimcheon, South Korea,*Correspondence: Suk-Kyung Lim
| | - Young Ju Lee
- College of Veterinary Medicine and Zoonoses Research Institute, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, South Korea,Young Ju Lee
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Adsit FG, Randall TA, Locklear J, Kurtz DM. The emergence of the tetrathionate reductase operon in the Escherichia coli/Shigella pan-genome. Microbiologyopen 2022; 11:e1333. [PMID: 36479628 PMCID: PMC9638481 DOI: 10.1002/mbo3.1333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Escherichia coli pathogenic variants (pathovars) are generally characterized by defined virulence traits and are susceptible to the evolution of hybridized identities due to the considerable plasticity of the E. coli genome. We have isolated a strain from a purified diet intended for research animals that further demonstrates the ability of E. coli to acquire novel genetic elements leading potentially to emergent new pathovars. Utilizing next generation sequencing to obtain a whole genome profile, we report an atypical strain of E. coli, EcoFA807-17, possessing a tetrathionate reductase (ttr) operon, which enables the utilization of tetrathionate as an electron acceptor, thus facilitating respiration in anaerobic environments such as the mammalian gut. The ttr operon is a potent virulence factor for several enteric pathogens, most prominently Salmonella enterica. However, the presence of chromosomally integrated tetrathionate reductase genes does not appear to have been previously reported in wild-type E. coli or Shigella. Accordingly, it is possible that the appearance of this virulence factor may signal the evolution of new mechanisms of pathogenicity in E. coli and Shigella and may potentially alter the effectiveness of existing assays using tetrathionate reductase as a unique marker for the detection of Salmonella enterica.
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Affiliation(s)
- Floyd G. Adsit
- Quality Assurance Laboratory (QAL), Comparative Medicine Branch (CMB)National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)DurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Thomas A. Randall
- Integrative BioinformaticsNational Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)DurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Jacqueline Locklear
- Quality Assurance Laboratory (QAL), Comparative Medicine Branch (CMB)National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)DurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - David M. Kurtz
- Quality Assurance Laboratory (QAL), Comparative Medicine Branch (CMB)National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)DurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
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Santos ACDM, Fuga B, Esposito F, Cardoso B, Santos FF, Valiatti TB, Santos-Neto JF, Gales AC, Lincopan N, Silva RM, Gomes TAT. Unveiling the Virulent Genotype and Unusual Biochemical Behavior of Escherichia coli ST59. Appl Environ Microbiol 2021; 87:e0074321. [PMID: 34085857 PMCID: PMC8315172 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00743-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) is a leading cause of human and animal infections worldwide. The utilization of selective and differential media to facilitate the isolation and identification of E. coli from complex samples, such as water, food, sediment, and gut tissue, is common in epidemiological studies. During a surveillance study, we identified an E. coli strain isolated from human blood culture that displayed atypical light cream-colored colonies in chromogenic agar and was unable to produce β-glucuronidase and β-galactosidase in biochemical tests. Genomic analysis showed that the strain belongs to sequence type 59 (ST59) and phylogroup F. The evaluation in silico of 104 available sequenced lineages of ST59 complex showed that most of them belong to serotype O1:K1:H7, are β-glucuronidase negative, and harbor a virulent genotype associated with the presence of important virulence markers such as pap, kpsE, chuA, fyuA, and yfcV. Most of them were isolated from extraintestinal human infections in diverse countries worldwide and could be clustered/subgrouped based on papAF allele analysis. Considering that all analyzed strains harbor a virulent genotype and most do not exhibit biochemical behavior typical of E. coli, we report that they could be misclassified or underestimated, especially in epidemiological studies where the screening criteria rely only on typical biochemical phenotypes, as happens when chromogenic media are used. IMPORTANCE The use of selective and differential media guides presumptive bacterial identification based on specific metabolic traits that are specific to each bacterial species. When a bacterial specimen displays an unusual phenotype in these media, this characteristic may lead to bacterial misidentification or a significant delay in its identification, putting a patient at risk depending on the infection type. In the present work, we describe a virulent E. coli sequence type (ST59) that does not produce beta-glucuronidase (GUS negative), production of which is the metabolic trait widely used for E. coli presumptive identification in diverse differential media. The recognition of this unusual metabolic trait may help in the proper identification of ST59 isolates, the identification of their reservoir, and the evaluation of the frequency of these pathogens in places where automatic identification methods are not available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Carolina de Mello Santos
- Disciplina de Microbiologia, Departamento de Microbiologia Imunologia e Parasitologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Bruna Fuga
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Esposito
- Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Brenda Cardoso
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Fernandes Santos
- Laboratório ALERTA, Disciplina de Infectologia, Departamento de Medicina, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Tiago Barcelos Valiatti
- Laboratório ALERTA, Disciplina de Infectologia, Departamento de Medicina, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - José Francisco Santos-Neto
- Disciplina de Microbiologia, Departamento de Microbiologia Imunologia e Parasitologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ana Cristina Gales
- Laboratório ALERTA, Disciplina de Infectologia, Departamento de Medicina, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Nilton Lincopan
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rosa Maria Silva
- Disciplina de Microbiologia, Departamento de Microbiologia Imunologia e Parasitologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Tânia Aparecida Tardelli Gomes
- Disciplina de Microbiologia, Departamento de Microbiologia Imunologia e Parasitologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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