TY - JOUR
AU - Gigliucci, Federica
AU - van Hoek, Angela H.A.M.
AU - Chiani, Paola
AU - Knijn, Arnold
AU - Minelli, Fabio
AU - Scavia, Gaia
AU - Franz, Eelco
AU - Morabito, Stefano
AU - Michelacci, Valeria
T1 - Genomic Characterization of hlyF-positive Shiga Toxin–Producing Escherichia coli, Italy and the Netherlands, 2000–2019
T2 - Emerging Infectious Disease journal
PY - 2021
VL - 27
IS - 3
SP - 853
SN - 1080-6059
AB -
Shiga toxin–producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O80:H2 has emerged in Europe as a cause of hemolytic uremic syndrome associated with bacteremia. STEC O80:H2 harbors the mosaic plasmid pR444_A, which combines several virulence genes, including hlyF and antimicrobial resistance genes. pR444_A is found in some extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC) strains. We identified and characterized 53 STEC strains with ExPEC-associated virulence genes isolated in Italy and the Netherlands during 2000–2019. The isolates belong to 2 major populations: 1 belongs to sequence type 301 and harbors diverse stx2 subtypes, the intimin variant eae-ξ, and pO157-like and pR444_A plasmids; 1 consists of strains belonging to various sequence types, some of which lack the pO157 plasmid, the locus of enterocyte effacement, and the antimicrobial resistance–encoding region. Our results showed that STEC strains harboring ExPEC-associated virulence genes can include multiple serotypes and that the pR444_A plasmid can be acquired and mobilized by STEC strains.
KW - Shiga toxin–producing Escherichia coli
KW - extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli
KW - hemolytic uremic syndrome
KW - zoonoses
KW - foodborne disease
KW - antimicrobial resistance
KW - whole-genome sequencing
KW - hlyF
KW - phylogenesis
KW - Italy
KW - the Netherlands
KW - Escherichia coli
KW - bacteria
KW - enteric infections
KW - bacterial zoonoses
KW - food safety
KW - STEC
KW - ExPEC
DO - 10.3201/eid2703.203110
UR - https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/27/3/20-3110_article
ER - End of Reference