Distribution of virulence determinants among<i> Escherichia</i><i> coli</i> ST131 and its H30/H30-Rx subclones in Turkey


Er D. K., Dündar D., Uzuner H.

ACTA MICROBIOLOGICA ET IMMUNOLOGICA HUNGARICA, vol.70, no.1, pp.47-51, 2023 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 70 Issue: 1
  • Publication Date: 2023
  • Doi Number: 10.1556/030.2022.01889
  • Journal Name: ACTA MICROBIOLOGICA ET IMMUNOLOGICA HUNGARICA
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, BIOSIS, CAB Abstracts, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Veterinary Science Database
  • Page Numbers: pp.47-51
  • Keywords: Escherichia coli, H30, H30-Rx, ST131, urinary tract infection
  • Kocaeli University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) is the leading pathogen in urinary tract infection. In recent years multidrug-resistant B2-ST131 E. coli clonal group has disseminated worldwide. The ST131 and its subclones H30 and H30-Rx have been identified only in a few studies from Turkey. The aim of this study is to investigate the presence of ST131 and its subclones and to analyze their adhesin virulence genes and antimicrobial resistance. A total of 250 urinary ExPEC isolates were included in the study. Resistance rates of 16 antimicrobial agents were determined by disk-diffusion. Multidrug-resistance and ESBL production were analyzed. Altogether 8 adhesin genes were investigated namely, papAH, fimH, sfa/focDE, focG, afa/draBC, iha, bmaE and gafD. A total of 39 ST131 isolate were determined and 33 (84.6%) were multidrug-resistant. ESBL production was detected in 34 (87.2%) ST131 and 61 (28.9%) of non-ST131 strains. In our study, we found a strong correlation between ST131 strains and fimH, iha, afa/draBC, papAH virulence determinants. Twenty-nine (85.3%) of 34 ST131-O25b-H30 isolates were identified as H30-Rx. All the papAH gene positive isolates were identified within ST131-O25b-H30-Rx lineage. Non-H30-Rx isolates within H30 isolates were identified as pattern 2. Almost 16% of the isolates were identified as ST131 regardless of clinical syndrome and approximately 34% of the multidrug-resistant isolates were H30-Rx subclone. We report H30-Rx as the dominant subclone of ST131 in our study. Imipenem, fosfomycin and nitrofurantoin proved to be the most effective agents according to antibiotic resistance patterns of both ST131 and non-ST131 E. coli strains.