Genomic Characterization of Escherichia coli Isolates Belonging to a New Hybrid aEPEC/ExPEC Pathotype O153:H10-A-ST10 eae-beta1 Occurred in Meat, Poultry, Wildlife and Human Diarrheagenic Samples.

Dafne Díaz-Jiménez,Alexandra Herrera,Azucena Mora,María Pilar Alonso,Ana María López-Beceiro,Isidro García-Meniño,Jorge Blanco,Vanesa García

doi:10.3390/antibiotics9040192

Abstract

Different surveillance studies (2005–2015) in northwest Spain revealed the presence of eae-positive isolates of Escherichia coli O153:H10 in meat for human consumption, poultry farm, wildlife and human diarrheagenic samples. The aim of this study was to explore the genetic and genomic relatedness between human and animal/meat isolates, as well as the mechanism of its persistence. We also wanted to know whether it was a geographically restricted lineage, or whether it was also reported elsewhere. Conventional typing showed that 32 isolates were O153:H10-A-ST10 fimH54, fimAvMT78, traT and eae-beta1. Amongst these, 21 were CTX-M-32 or SHV-12 producers. The PFGE XbaI-macrorestriction comparison showed high similarity (>85%). The plasmidome analysis revealed a stable combination of IncF (F2:A-:B-), IncI1 (STunknown) and IncX1 plasmid types, together with non-conjugative Col-like plasmids. The core genome investigation based on the cgMLST scheme from EnteroBase proved close relatedness between isolates of human and animal origin. Our results demonstrate that a hybrid MDR aEPEC/ExPEC of the clonal group O153:H10-A-ST10 (CH11-54) is circulating in our region within different hosts, including wildlife. It seems implicated in human diarrhea via meat transmission, and in the spreading of ESBL genes (mainly of CTX-M-32 type). We found genomic evidence of a related hybrid aEPEC/ExPEC in at least one other country.

Highlights

Escherichia coli is a normal inhabitant of the human and animal intestinal tract
E. coli that cause extraintestinal infections are referred to as extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC), which includes a heterogeneous group of pathotypes defined by isolation from infections outside the intestinal tract: uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC), avian pathogenic E. coli (APEC), and neonatal meningitis E. coli (NMEC)
In independent studies on extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL) in our region, we found that O153 atypical EPEC (aEPEC) represented 5.5% of the ESBL-producing E. coli recovered from chicken meat (2009-2010), 7.7% of pork meat (2011-2012), 20% of beef meat (2011-2012), 1% of poultry farm environments (2010-2012) and 1% of wildlife feces (2014-2015) [22]

Summary

Introduction

Escherichia coli is a normal inhabitant of the human and animal intestinal tract. E. coli can act as a pathogen in a broad range of conditions, from enteric diseases to extraintestinal infections, such as urinary tract infection (UTI) and sepsis, among others. Antibiotics 2020, 9, 192 diarrhea are called diarrheagenic E. coli (DEC), which includes six major categories characteristically defined by certain pathotype-specific virulence markers [1,2]. Category is typically carrier of the eae gene, as part of the pathogenicity island locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE), codifying a protein called intimin. E. coli that cause extraintestinal infections are referred to as extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC), which includes a heterogeneous group of pathotypes defined by isolation from infections outside the intestinal tract: uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC), avian pathogenic E. coli (APEC), and neonatal meningitis E. coli (NMEC)

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