Identification of Shiga-Toxin-Producing Shigella Infections in Travel and Non-Travel Related Cases in Alberta, Canada
Shuai Zhi,
Brendon D. Parsons,
Jonas Szelewicki,
Yue T. K. Yuen,
Patrick Fach,
Sabine Delannoy,
Vincent Li,
Christina Ferrato,
Stephen B. Freedman,
Bonita E. Lee,
Xiao-Li Pang,
Linda Chui
Affiliations
Shuai Zhi
The Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315000, China
Brendon D. Parsons
Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2B7, Canada
Jonas Szelewicki
Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2B7, Canada
Yue T. K. Yuen
Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2B7, Canada
Patrick Fach
Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES), Food Safety Laboratory, COLiPATH Research Unit & IDPA Genomics Platform, FR-94700 Maisons-Alfort, France
Sabine Delannoy
Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES), Food Safety Laboratory, COLiPATH Research Unit & IDPA Genomics Platform, FR-94700 Maisons-Alfort, France
Vincent Li
Alberta Precision Laboratories-ProvLab, Edmonton, AB T6G 2J2, Canada
Christina Ferrato
Alberta Precision Laboratories-ProvLab, Calgary, AB T2N 4W4, Canada
Stephen B. Freedman
Alberta Children’s Hospital, Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine and Gastroenterology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
Bonita E. Lee
Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, Women and Children’s Health Research Institute, Stollery Children’s Hospital, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1C9, Canada
Xiao-Li Pang
Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2B7, Canada
Linda Chui
Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2B7, Canada
It has long been accepted that Shiga toxin (Stx) only exists in Shigella dysenteriae serotype 1. However, in recent decades, the presence of Shiga toxin genes (stx) in other Shigella spp. have been reported. We screened 366 Shigella flexneri strains from Alberta, Canada (2003 to 2016) for stx and 26 positive strains were identified. These isolates are highly related with the majority originating from the Dominican Republic and three isolates with Haiti origin. Both phylogenetic and spanning tree analysis of the 26 Alberta and 29 stx positive S. flexneri originating from the U.S., France, Canada (Quebec) and Haiti suggests that there are geographic specific distribution patterns (Haiti and Dominican Republic clades). This study provides the first comprehensive whole genome based phylogenetic analysis of stx positive S. flexneri strains as well as their global transmission, which signify the public health risks of global spreading of these strains.
