Abstract
We previously described how retail meat, particularly chicken, might be a reservoir for extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) causing urinary tract infections (UTIs) in humans. To rule out retail beef and pork as potential reservoirs, we tested 320 additional E. coli isolates from these meats. Isolates from beef and pork were significantly less likely than those from chicken to be genetically related to isolates from humans with UTIs. We then tested whether the reservoir for ExPEC in humans could be food animals themselves by comparing geographically and temporally matched E. coli isolates from 475 humans with UTIs and from cecal contents of 349 slaughtered animals. We found genetic similarities between E. coli from animals in abattoirs, principally chickens, and ExPEC causing UTIs in humans. ExPEC transmission from food animals could be responsible for human infections, and chickens are the most probable reservoir.
Highlights
We previously described how retail meat, chicken, might be a reservoir for extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) causing urinary tract infections (UTIs) in humans
Considering the sampling proportions (66% beef and pork [484/737] and 34% chicken [253/737]), the fraction of isolates from beef and pork related to isolates from humans with UTIs was significantly lower than expected on the basis of the sampling fraction (29% observed vs. 66% expected; p
Our second goal was to determine whether the reservoir for ExPEC in humans causing community-acquired UTI was food animals, chickens
Summary
We previously described how retail meat, chicken, might be a reservoir for extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) causing urinary tract infections (UTIs) in humans. Isolates from beef and pork were significantly less likely than those from chicken to be genetically related to isolates from humans with UTIs. We tested whether the reservoir for ExPEC in humans could be food animals themselves by comparing geographically and temporally matched E. coli isolates from 475 humans with UTIs and from cecal contents of 349 slaughtered animals. Communitywide outbreaks have been described in south London (E. coli O15:K152:H1) [6]; Copenhagen (E. coli O78:H10) [7]; Calgary, Alberta, Canada (extendedspectrum β-lactamase–producing E. coli) [8]; and California, USA (trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole–resistant E. coli) [9] These outbreaks suggest that ExPEC can be spread to the intestinal tracts of persons in the community by a common source or vehicle. E. coli isolates recovered from the cecal contents of slaughtered food animals (beef cattle, chickens, and pigs) were compared with the preexisting geographically and temporally matched collection of isolates from humans with UTIs
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