Emergence of New ST301 Shiga Toxin-Producing <i>Escherichia coli</i> Clones Harboring Extra-Intestinal Virulence Traits in Europe
Aurélie Cointe,
Etienne Bizot,
Sabine Delannoy,
Patrick Fach,
Philippe Bidet,
André Birgy,
François-Xavier Weill,
Sophie Lefèvre,
Patricia Mariani-Kurkdjian,
Stéphane Bonacorsi
Affiliations
Aurélie Cointe
Service de Microbiologie, Centre National de Référence <i>Escherichia coli</i>, AP-HP, Hôpital Robert-Debré, Université de Paris, IAME, UMR 1137, INSERM, 75018 Paris, France
Etienne Bizot
Service de Microbiologie, Centre National de Référence <i>Escherichia coli</i>, AP-HP, Hôpital Robert-Debré, Université de Paris, IAME, UMR 1137, INSERM, 75018 Paris, France
Service de Microbiologie, Centre National de Référence <i>Escherichia coli</i>, AP-HP, Hôpital Robert-Debré, Université de Paris, IAME, UMR 1137, INSERM, 75018 Paris, France
André Birgy
Service de Microbiologie, Centre National de Référence <i>Escherichia coli</i>, AP-HP, Hôpital Robert-Debré, Université de Paris, IAME, UMR 1137, INSERM, 75018 Paris, France
François-Xavier Weill
Centre National de Référence des <i>Escherichia coli</i>, Shigella et Salmonella, Institut Pasteur, Unités des Bactéries Pathogènes Entériques, 75015 Paris, France
Sophie Lefèvre
Centre National de Référence des <i>Escherichia coli</i>, Shigella et Salmonella, Institut Pasteur, Unités des Bactéries Pathogènes Entériques, 75015 Paris, France
Patricia Mariani-Kurkdjian
Service de Microbiologie, Centre National de Référence <i>Escherichia coli</i>, AP-HP, Hôpital Robert-Debré, Université de Paris, IAME, UMR 1137, INSERM, 75018 Paris, France
Stéphane Bonacorsi
Service de Microbiologie, Centre National de Référence <i>Escherichia coli</i>, AP-HP, Hôpital Robert-Debré, Université de Paris, IAME, UMR 1137, INSERM, 75018 Paris, France
O80:H2 enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) of sequence type ST301 is one of the main serotypes causing European hemolytic and uremic syndrome, but also invasive infections, due to extra-intestinal virulence factors (VFs). Here, we determined whether other such heteropathotypes exist among ST301. EnteroBase was screened for ST301 strains that were included in a general SNP-phylogeny. French strains belonging to a new heteropathotype clone were sequenced. ST, hierarchical clusters (HC), serotype, resistome, and virulome were determined using EnteroBase, the CGE website, and local BLAST. The ST301 general phylogeny shows two groups. Group A (n = 25) is mainly composed of enteropathogenic E. coli, whereas group B (n = 55) includes mostly EHEC. Three serotypes, O186:H2, O45:H2 and O55:H9, share the same virulome as one of the O80:H2 sub-clones from which they derive subsequent O-antigen switches. The O55:H9 clone, mainly present in France (n = 29), as well as in the UK (n = 5) and Germany (n = 1), has a low background of genetic diversity (four HC20), although it has three Stx subtypes, an H-antigen switch, and genes encoding the major extra-intestinal VF yersiniabactin, and extended-spectrum beta-lactamases. Diverse heteropathotype clones genetically close to the O80:H2 clone are present among the ST301, requiring close European monitoring, especially the virulent O55:H9 clone.
