Phylogeny of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157 isolated from cattle and clinically ill humans

Proportions and Serogroups of Enterohemorrhagic Shiga Toxin-producing Escherichia coli in Feces of Fed and Cull Beef and Cull Dairy Cattle at Harvest

Cattle are considered a primary reservoir of Shiga toxin (stx)-producing Escherichia coli that cause enterohemorrhagic disease (EHEC), and contaminated beef products are one vehicle of transmission to humans. However, animals entering the beef harvest process originate from differing production systems: feedlots, dairies, and beef breeding herds. The objective of this study was to determine if fed cattle, cull dairy, and or cull beef cattle carry differing proportions and serogroups of EHEC at harvest. Feces were collected via rectoanal mucosal swabs (RAMSs) from 1,039 fed cattle, 1,058 cull dairy cattle, and 1,018 cull beef cattle at harvest plants in seven U.S. states (CA, GA, NE, PA, TX, WA, and WI). The proportion of the stx gene in feces of fed cattle (99.04%) was not significantly different (P > 0.05) than in the feces of cull dairy (92.06%) and cull beef (91.85%) cattle. When two additional factors predictive of EHEC (intimin and ecf1 genes) were considered, EHEC was significantly greater (P < 0.05) in fed cattle (77.29%) than in cull dairy (47.54%) and cull beef (38.51%) cattle. The presence of E. coli O157:H7 and five common non-O157 EHEC of serogroups O26, O103, O111, O121, and O145 was determined using molecular analysis for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) followed by culture isolation. SNP analysis identified 23.48%, 17.67%, and 10.81% and culture isolation confirmed 2.98%, 3.31%, and 3.00% of fed, cull dairy, and cull beef cattle feces to contain one of these EHEC, respectively. The most common serogroups confirmed by culture isolation were O157, O103, and O26. Potential EHEC of fourteen other serogroups were isolated as well, from 4.86%, 2.46%, and 2.01% of fed, cull dairy, and cull beef cattle feces, respectively; with the most common being serogroups O177, O74, O98, and O84. The identification of particular EHEC serogroups in different types of cattle at harvest may offer opportunities to improve food safety risk management.

Escherichia coli O157:H7 tir 255 T > A allele strains differ in chromosomal and plasmid composition

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157:H7 strains with the T allele in the translocated intimin receptor polymorphism (tir) 255 A > T gene associate with human disease more than strains with an A allele; however, the allele is not thought to be the direct cause of this difference. We sequenced a diverse set of STEC O157:H7 strains (26% A allele, 74% T allele) to identify linked differences that might underlie disease association. The average chromosome and pO157 plasmid size and gene content were significantly greater within the tir 255 A allele strains. Eighteen coding sequences were unique to tir 255 A allele chromosomes, and three were unique to tir 255 T allele chromosomes. There also were non-pO157 plasmids that were unique to each tir 255 allele variant. The overall average number of prophages did not differ between tir 255 allele strains; however, there were different types between the strains. Genomic and mobile element variation linked to the tir 255 polymorphism may account for the increased frequency of the T allele isolates in human disease.

Rates of evolutionary change of resident Escherichia coli O157:H7 differ within the same ecological niche

Background

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157:H7 is a pathogen known to reside in cattle feedlots. This retrospective study examined 181 STEC O157:H7 strains collected over 23 years from a closed-system feedlot. All strains were subjected to short-read sequencing, with a subset of 36 also subjected to long-read sequencing.

Results

Over 96% of the strains fell into four phylogenetically distinct clades. Clade membership was associated with multiple factors including stx composition and the alleles of a well-characterized polymorphism (tir 255 T > A). Small plasmids (2.7 to 40 kb) were found to be primarily clade specific. Within each clade, chromosomal rearrangements were observed along with a core phageome and clade specific phages. Across both core and mobile elements of the genome, multiple SNP alleles were in complete linkage disequilibrium across all strains within specific clades. Clade evolutionary rates varied between 0.9 and 2.8 SNP/genome/year with two tir A allele clades having the lowest evolutionary rates. Investigation into possible causes of the differing rates was not conclusive but revealed a synonymous based mutation in the DNA polymerase III of the fastest evolving clade. Phylogenetic trees generated through our bioinformatic pipeline versus the NCBI’s pathogen detection project were similar, with the two tir A allele clades matching individual NCBI SNP clusters, and the two tir T allele clades assigned to multiple closely-related SNP clusters.

Conclusions

In one ecological niche, a diverse STEC O157:H7 population exhibited different rates of evolution that associated with SNP alleles in linkage disequilibrium in the core genome and mobile elements, including tir 255 T > A.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12864-022-08497-6.

Variability in the Occupancy of Escherichia coli O157 Integration Sites by Shiga Toxin-Encoding Prophages

Escherichia coli O157:H7 strains often produce Shiga toxins encoded by genes on lambdoid bacteriophages that insert into multiple loci as prophages. O157 strains were classified into distinct clades that vary in virulence. Herein, we used PCR assays to examine Shiga toxin (Stx) prophage occupancy in yehV, argW, wrbA, and sbcB among 346 O157 strains representing nine clades. Overall, yehV was occupied in most strains (n = 334, 96.5%), followed by wrbA (n = 213, 61.6%), argW (n = 103, 29.8%), and sbcB (n = 93, 26.9%). Twelve occupancy profiles were identified that varied in frequency and differed across clades. Strains belonging to clade 8 were more likely to have occupied sbcB and argW sites compared to other clades (p < 0.0001), while clade 2 strains were more likely to have occupied wrbA sites (p < 0.0001). Clade 8 strains also had more than the expected number of occupied sites based on the presence of stx variants (p < 0.0001). Deletion of a 20 kb non-Stx prophage occupying yehV in a clade 8 strain resulted in an ~18-fold decrease in stx2 expression. These data highlight the complexity of Stx prophage integration and demonstrate that clade 8 strains, which were previously linked to hemolytic uremic syndrome, have unique Stx prophage occupancy profiles that can impact stx2 expression.

Molecular characterisation of multi-drug resistant Escherichia coli of bovine origin

Antimicrobial resistance reported in bacteria of animal origin is considered a major challenge to veterinary public health. In this study, the genotypic and phenotypic characterisation of twelve Escherichia coli isolates of bovine origin is reported. Twelve bacterial isolates of animal origin were selected from a previous study based on their multidrug resistant (MDR) profile. Efflux pump activity was measured using ethidium bromide (EtBr) and the biofilm forming ability of the individual strains was assessed using a number of phenotypic assays. All isolates were resistant to tetracyclines and a number of isolates expressed resistance to fluoroquinolones which was also confirmed in silico by the presence of these resistance markers. Amino acid substitutions in the quinolone resistance-determining regions were identified in all isolates and the presence of several siderophores were also noted. Whole genomesequence (WGS) data showed different STs that were not associated with epidemic STs or virulent clonal complexes. Seven isolates formed biofilms in minimal media with some isolates showing better adaptation at 25 °C while others at 37 °C. The capacity to efflux EtBr was found to be high in 4 isolates and impaired in 4 others. The pathogenicity of three selected isolates was assessed in zebrafish embryo infection models, revealing isolates CFS0355 and CFS0356 as highly pathogenic. These results highlight the application of NGS technologies combined with phenotypic assays in providing a better understanding of E. coli of bovine origin and their adaptation to this niche environment.

Comparative Performance Evaluation of Real-Time PCR and Dual-Labeled Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer Probe-Based Melt Peak Analysis for the Detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Beef Products

Contaminated beef and beef products remain a frequent vehicle for the transmission of Escherichia coli O157:H7. The current U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) regulatory testing for E. coli O157:H7 uses the method described in the USDA-FSIS Microbiology Laboratory Guidebook (MLG), chapter 5. At times, described presumptive test results are nonconfirmable, suggesting that recent PCR technological advancements and presumed enhanced sensitivity and specificity may offer beneficial changes. Here, we have evaluated the precision and sensitivity of a fluorescence resonance energy transfer-based real-time PCR assay called ECO for the detection of E. coli O157:H7. ECO detects the gene target specific to both E. coli O157:H7 and E. coli O157:non-H7 but distinguishes the two by using a melt curve analysis. A total of 3,113 O157:H7 and O157:non-H7 isolates were used to define this melting temperature-based criteria. The simulated comparative performance evaluation in the spiked beef samples indicated detection of 3 of 3 samples by ECO at <3.3 log CFU/mL, whereas MLG only detected 1 of 3 (<3.3 log CFU/mL). Using modified tryptic soy broth-enriched natural beef and veal product samples ( n = 452), the comparative sensitivity, specificity, false-positive rate, and false-negative rate against culture between MLG and ECO were 75 versus 92%, 91 versus 99%, 8.9 versus 0.77%, and 25 versus 8.3%, respectively. Positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and the overall accuracy were found to be 56 versus 94%, 96 versus 98%, and 88 versus 98%, for MLG and ECO, respectively. These data demonstrate that the ECO assay is comparable to MLG detection of E. coli O157:H7 and offers improved sensitivity.

Geogenomic Segregation and Temporal Trends of Human Pathogenic Escherichia coli O157:H7, Washington, USA, 2005-20141

The often-noted and persistent increased incidence of Escherichia coli O157:H7 infections in rural areas is not well understood. We used a cohort of E. coli O157:H7 cases reported in Washington, USA, during 2005–2014, along with phylogenomic characterization of the infecting isolates, to identify geographic segregation of and temporal trends in specific phylogenetic lineages of E. coli O157:H7. Kernel estimation and generalized additive models demonstrated that pathogen lineages were spatially segregated during the period of analysis and identified a focus of segregation spanning multiple, predominantly rural, counties for each of the main clinical lineages, Ib, IIa, and IIb. These results suggest the existence of local reservoirs from which humans are infected. We also noted a secular increase in the proportion of lineage IIa and IIb isolates. Spatial segregation by phylogenetic lineage offers the potential to identify local reservoirs and intervene to prevent continued transmission.

Comparative Transcriptome Profiling Reveals a Potential Role of Type VI Secretion System and Fimbriae in Virulence of Non-O157 Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) cause both sporadic infections and outbreaks of enteric disease in humans, with symptoms ranging from asymptomatic carriage to severe disease like haemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Bacterial virulence factors like subtypes of the Shiga toxin (Stx) and the locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE) pathogenicity island, as well as host factors like young age, are strongly associated with development of HUS. However, these factors alone do not accurately differentiate between strains that cause HUS and those that do not cause severe disease, which is important in the context of diagnosis, treatment, as well as infection control. We have used RNA sequencing to compare transcriptomes of 30 stx2a and eae positive STEC strains of non-O157 serogroups isolated from children <5 years of age. The strains were from children with HUS (HUS group, n = 15), and children with asymptomatic or mild disease (non-HUS group, n = 15), either induced with mitomycin C or non-induced, to reveal potential differences in gene expression levels between groups. When the HUS and non-HUS group were compared for differential expression of protein-encoding gene families, 399 of 6,119 gene families were differentially expressed (log2 fold change ≥ 1, FDR < 0.05) in the non-induced condition, whereas only one gene family was differentially expressed in the induced condition. Gene ontology and cluster analysis showed that several fimbrial operons, as well as a putative type VI secretion system (T6SS) were more highly expressed in the HUS group than in the non-HUS group, indicating a role of these in the virulence of STEC strains causing severe disease.

Importance of case age in the purported association between phylogenetics and hemolytic uremic syndrome in Escherichia coli O157:H7 infections

Escherichia coli O157:H7 is the largest cause of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Previous studies proposed that HUS risk varies across the E. coli O157:H7 phylogenetic tree (hypervirulent clade 8), but the role of age in the association is unknown. We determined phylogenetic lineage of E. coli O157:H7 isolates from 1160 culture-confirmed E. coli O157:H7 cases reported in Washington State, 2004-2015. Using generalised estimating equations, we tested the association between phylogenetic lineage and HUS. Age was evaluated as an effect modifier. Among 1082 E. coli O157:H7 cases with both phylogenetic lineage and HUS status (HUS n = 76), stratified analysis suggested effect modification by age. Lineages IIa and IIb, relative to Ib, did not appear associated with HUS in children 0-9-years-old. For cases 10-59-years-old, lineages IIa and IIb appeared to confer increased risk of HUS, relative to lineage Ib. The association reversed in ⩾60-year-olds. Results were similar for clade 8. Phylogenetic lineage appears to be associated with HUS risk only among those ⩾10-years-old. Among children <10, the age group most frequently affected, lineage does not explain progression to HUS. However, lineage frequency varied across age groups, suggesting differences in exposure and/or early disease manifestation.

Characteristics of Shigatoxin-Producing Escherichia coli Strains Isolated during 2010-2014 from Human Infections in Switzerland

Objectives: The aim of this study was to characterize a collection of 95 Shigatoxin-producing E.coli (STEC) isolated from human patients in Switzerland during 2010-2014. Methods: We performed O and H serotyping and molecular subtyping. Results: The five most common serogroups were O157, O145, O26, O103, and O146. Of the 95 strains, 35 (36.8%) carried stx1 genes only, 43 strains (45.2%) carried stx2 and 17 (17.9%) harbored combinations of stx1 and stx2 genes. Stx1a (42 strains) and stx2a (32 strains) were the most frequently detected stx subtypes. Genes for intimin (eae), hemolysin (hly), iron-regulated adhesion (iha), and the subtilase cytotoxin subtypes subAB1, subAB2-1, subAB2-2, or subAB2-3 were detected in 70.5, 83.2, 74.7, and 20% of the strains, respectively. Multilocus sequence typing assigned the majority (58.9%) of the isolates to five different clonal complexes (CC), 11, 32, 29, 20, and 165, respectively. CC11 included all O157:[H7] and O55:[H7] isolates. CC32 comprised O145:[H28] isolates, and O145:[H25] belonged to sequence type (ST) 342. CC29 contained isolates of the O26:[H11], O111:[H8] and O118:[Hnt] serogroups, and CC20 encompassed isolates of O51:H49/[Hnt] and O103:[H2]. CC165 included isolates typed O80:[H2]-ST301, all harboring stx2d, eae-ξ, hly, and 66.7% additionally harboring iha. All O80:[H2]-ST301 strains harbored at least 7 genes carried by pS88, a plasmid associated with extraintestinal virulence. Compared to data from Switzerland from the years 2000-2009, an increase of the proportion of non-O157 STEC infections was observed as well as an increase of infections due to STEC O146. By contrast, the prevalence of the highly virulent German clone STEC O26:[H11]-ST29 decreased from 11.3% during 2000-2009 to 1.1% for the time span 2010-2014. The detection of O80:[H2]-ST301 harboring stx2d, eae-ξ, hly, iha, and pS88 related genes suggests an ongoing emergence in Switzerland of an unusual, highly pathogenic STEC serotype. Conclusions: Serotyping and molecular subtyping of clinical STEC demonstrate that although STEC O157 predominates among STEC isolated from diseased humans, non-O157 STEC infections are increasing in Switzerland, including those due to STEC O146:[H2/H21/H28]-ST442/ST738 harboring subAB variants, and the recently emerged STEC O80:[H2]-ST301 harboring eae-ξ and pS88 associated extraintestinal pathogenic virulence genes.

Characteristics of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli O157 in Slaughtered Reindeer from Northern Finland

Fecal samples collected from 470 slaughtered reindeer 6 to 7 months of age were screened by real-time PCR (after enrichment) for Shiga toxin genes (stx) and then for Escherichia coli serogroup O157. Shiga toxin genes were found frequently (>30% of samples), and serogroup O157 was detected in 20% of the stx-positive samples. From these samples, a total of 25 E. coli O157:H^- isolates (nonmotile but PCR positive for fliC_H7) were obtained. Twenty-four of these E. coli O157:H^- isolates did not ferment sorbitol and originated from one geographic area. These 24 isolates belonged to the multilocus sequence type 11, typical for Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) O157:H7 and O157:H^-, and harbored genes stx_1a, stx_2c, eae, and hlyA; the stx_2c subtype has been associated with high virulence. In contrast, one E. coli O157:H^- isolate (multilocus sequence type 11) did ferment sorbitol, lacked Shiga toxin genes, but was positive for eae, hlyA, and sfpA. This isolate closely resembled an STEC that has lost its Shiga toxin genes. Additional examination revealed that reindeer can be colonized by various other STEC isolates; 21 non-O157 STEC isolates belonged to four multilocus sequence types, harbored stx_1a (8 isolates) or stx_2b (13 isolates), and in the stx_2b-positive isolates the recently described new allelic variants (subAB2-2 and subAB2-3) for subtilase cytotoxin were identified. Hence, slaughtered semidomesticated Finnish reindeer might constitute a little known reservoir for STEC O157:H7/H^- and other serogroups, and the risk of direct or indirect transmission of these pathogens from reindeer to humans and domestic livestock must not be overlooked.

Named entity linking of geospatial and host metadata in GenBank for advancing biomedical research

DATABASE URL

: https://zodo.asu.edu/zoophydb/.

EHEC Genomics: Past, Present, and Future

This article examines the role of genomics in the understanding and identification of O157:H7 enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC). We highlight the development of novel molecular typing systems that are based on the genomic sequence that has been generated for this pathotype. The genomic comparisons of EHEC to other E. coli strains highlight the close relatedness of the O157 and O55 isolates and also identify other non-O157 clades of isolates that appear to have a different genomic history. Analysis within the EHEC isolates must be completed on a fine scale using whole-genome sequence-based approaches to assess both the conserved and lateral acquired gene content. The plethora of genomic data for EHEC isolates has provided the ability to examine this pathotype in detail, which has provided opportunities for novel surveillance, detection, and diagnostics.

Large genomic differences between Moraxella bovoculi isolates acquired from the eyes of cattle with infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis versus the deep nasopharynx of asymptomatic cattle

Moraxella bovoculi is a recently described bacterium that is associated with infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis (IBK) or “pinkeye” in cattle. In this study, closed circularized genomes were generated for seven M. bovoculi isolates: three that originated from the eyes of clinical IBK bovine cases and four from the deep nasopharynx of asymptomatic cattle. Isolates that originated from the eyes of IBK cases profoundly differed from those that originated from the nasopharynx of asymptomatic cattle in genome structure, gene content and polymorphism diversity and consequently placed into two distinct phylogenetic groups. These results suggest that there are genetically distinct strains of M. bovoculi that may not associate with IBK.

"Preharvest" Food Safety for Escherichia coli O157 and Other Pathogenic Shiga Toxin-Producing Strains

Preharvest food safety refers to the concept of reducing the rates of contamination of unprocessed foods with food-borne disease pathogens in order to reduce human exposure and disease. This article addresses the search for effective preharvest food safety practices for application to live cattle to reduce both contamination of foods of bovine origin and environmental contamination resulting from cattle. Although this research has resulted in several practices that significantly decrease contamination by Escherichia coli O157, the effects are limited in magnitude and unlikely to affect the incidence of human disease without much wider application and considerably higher efficacy than is presently apparent. Infection of cattle with E. coli O157 is transient and seasonally variable, likely resulting from a complex web of exposures. It is likely that better identification of the true maintenance reservoir of this agent and related Shiga toxin-producing E. coli is required to develop more effective control measures for these important food- and waterborne disease agents.

Canonical Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) for High-Resolution Subtyping of Shiga-Toxin Producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157:H7

The objective of this study was to develop a canonical, parsimoniously-informative SNP panel for subtyping Shiga-toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157:H7 that would be consistent with epidemiological, PFGE, and MLVA clustering of human specimens. Our group had previously identified 906 putative discriminatory SNPs, which were pared down to 391 SNPs based on their prevalence in a test set. The 391 SNPs were screened using a high-throughput form of TaqMan PCR against a set of clinical isolates that represent the most diverse collection of O157:H7 isolates from outbreaks and sporadic cases examined to date. Another 30 SNPs identified by others were also screened using the same method. Two additional targets were tested using standard TaqMan PCR endpoint analysis. These 423 SNPs were reduced to a 32 SNP panel with the almost the same discriminatory value. While the panel partitioned our diverse set of isolates in a manner that was consistent with epidemiological data and PFGE and MLVA phylogenies, it resulted in fewer subtypes than either existing method and insufficient epidemiological resolution in 10 of 47 clusters. Therefore, another round of SNP discovery was undertaken using comparative genomic resequencing of pooled DNA from the 10 clusters with insufficient resolution. This process identified 4,040 potential SNPs and suggested one of the ten clusters was incorrectly grouped. After its removal, there were 2,878 SNPs, of which only 63 were previously identified and 438 occurred across multiple clusters. Among highly clonal bacteria like STEC O157:H7, linkage disequilibrium greatly limits the number of parsimoniously informative SNPs. Therefore, it is perhaps unsurprising that our panel accounted for the potential discriminatory value of numerous other SNPs reported in the literature. We concluded published O157:H7 SNPs are insufficient for effective epidemiological subtyping. However, the 438 multi-cluster SNPs we identified may provide the additional information required.

Comparison of whole genome sequences from human and non-human Escherichia coli O26 strains

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O26 is the second leading E. coli serogroup responsible for human illness outbreaks behind E. coli O157:H7. Recent outbreaks have been linked to emerging pathogenic O26:H11 strains harboring stx 2 only. Cattle have been recognized as an important reservoir of O26 strains harboring stx 1; however the reservoir of these emerging stx 2 strains is unknown. The objective of this study was to identify nucleotide polymorphisms in human and cattle-derived strains in order to compare differences in polymorphism derived genotypes and virulence gene profiles between the two host species. Whole genome sequencing was performed on 182 epidemiologically unrelated O26 strains, including 109 human-derived strains and 73 non-human-derived strains. A panel of 289 O26 strains (241 STEC and 48 non-STEC) was subsequently genotyped using a set of 283 polymorphisms identified by whole genome sequencing, resulting in 64 unique genotypes. Phylogenetic analyses identified seven clusters within the O26 strains. The seven clusters did not distinguish between isolates originating from humans or cattle; however, clusters did correspond with particular virulence gene profiles. Human and non-human-derived strains harboring stx 1 clustered separately from strains harboring stx 2, strains harboring eae, and non-STEC strains. Strains harboring stx 2 were more closely related to non-STEC strains and strains harboring eae than to strains harboring stx 1. The finding of human and cattle-derived strains with the same polymorphism derived genotypes and similar virulence gene profiles, provides evidence that similar strains are found in cattle and humans and transmission between the two species may occur.

Reducing assembly complexity of microbial genomes with single-molecule sequencing

BACKGROUND

The short reads output by first- and second-generation DNA sequencing instruments cannot completely reconstruct microbial chromosomes. Therefore, most genomes have been left unfinished due to the significant resources required to manually close gaps in draft assemblies. Third-generation, single-molecule sequencing addresses this problem by greatly increasing sequencing read length, which simplifies the assembly problem.

RESULTS

To measure the benefit of single-molecule sequencing on microbial genome assembly, we sequenced and assembled the genomes of six bacteria and analyzed the repeat complexity of 2,267 complete bacteria and archaea. Our results indicate that the majority of known bacterial and archaeal genomes can be assembled without gaps, at finished-grade quality, using a single PacBio RS sequencing library. These single-library assemblies are also more accurate than typical short-read assemblies and hybrid assemblies of short and long reads.

CONCLUSIONS

Automated assembly of long, single-molecule sequencing data reduces the cost of microbial finishing to $1,000 for most genomes, and future advances in this technology are expected to drive the cost lower. This is expected to increase the number of completed genomes, improve the quality of microbial genome databases, and enable high-fidelity, population-scale studies of pan-genomes and chromosomal organization.

Geographically distinct Escherichia coli O157 isolates differ by lineage, Shiga toxin genotype, and total shiga toxin production

While the differential association of Escherichia coli O157 genotypes with animal and human hosts has recently been well documented, little is known about their distribution between countries and how this might affect regional disease rates. Here, we used a 48-plex single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) assay to segregate 148 E. coli O157 isolates from Australia, Argentina, and the United States into 11 SNP lineages. We also investigated the relationship between SNP lineages, Shiga toxin (Stx) gene profiles, and total Stx production. E. coli O157 isolates clearly segregated into SNP lineages that were differentially associated with each country. Of the 11 SNP lineages, seven were detected among isolates from a single country, two were detected among isolates from all three countries, and another two were detected only among U.S. and Argentinean isolates. A number of Australian (30%) and Argentinean (14%) isolates were associated with novel, previously undescribed SNP lineages that were unique to each country. Isolates within SNP lineages that were strongly associated with the carriage of stx2a produced comparatively more Stx on average than did those lacking the stx2a subtype. Furthermore, the proportion of isolates in stx2a-associated SNP lineages was significantly higher in Argentina and the United States than Australia (P < 0.05). This study provides evidence for the geographic divergence of E. coli O157 and for a prominent role of stx2a in total Stx production. These results also highlight the need for more comprehensive studies of the global distribution of E. coli O157 lineages and the impacts of regionally predominant E. coli O157 lineages on the prevalence and severity of disease.

Future perspectives, applications and challenges of genomic epidemiology studies for food-borne pathogens: A case study of Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) of the O157:H7 serotype

The shiga-toxin (Stx)-producing human pathogen Escherichia coli serotype O157:H7 is a highly pathogenic subgroup of Stx-producing E. coli (STEC) with food-borne etiology and bovine reservoir. Each year in the U. S., approximately 100,000 patients are infected with enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) of the O157:H7 serotype. This food-borne pathogen is a global public health threat responsible for widespread outbreaks of human disease. Since its initial discovery in 1982, O157:H7 has rapidly become the dominant EHEC serotype in North America. Hospitalization rates among patients as high as 50% have been reported for severe outbreaks of human disease. Symptoms of disease can rapidly deteriorate and progress to life-threatening complications such as Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS), the leading cause of kidney failure in children, or Hemorrhagic Colitis. In depth understanding of the genomic diversity that exists among currently circulating EHEC populations has broad applications for improved molecular-guided biosurveillance, outbreak preparedness, diagnostic risk assessment, and development of alternative toxin-suppressing therapeutics.

Taxonomy Meets Public Health: The Case of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli

To help assess the clinical and public health risks associated with different Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains, an empirical classification scheme was used to classify STEC into five “seropathotypes” (seropathotype A [high risk] to seropathotypes D and E [minimal risk]). This definition is of considerable value in cases of human infection but is also problematic because not all STEC infections are fully characterized and coupled to reliable clinical information. Outbreaks with emerging hybrid strains continuously challenge our understanding of virulence potential and may result in incorrect classification of specific pathotypes; an example is the hybrid strain that caused the 2011 outbreak in Germany, STEC/EAggEC O104:H4, which may deserve an alternative seropathotype designation. The integration of mobile virulence factors in the stepwise and parallel evolution of pathogenic lineages of STEC collides with the requirements of a good taxonomy, which separates elements of each group into subgroups that are mutually exclusive, unambiguous, and, together, include all possibilities. The concept of (sero)-pathotypes is therefore challenged, and the need to identify factors of STEC that absolutely predict the potential to cause human disease is obvious. Because the definition of hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS) is distinct, a basic and primary definition of HUS-associated E. coli (HUSEC) for first-line public health action is proposed: stx2 in a background of an eae- or aggR -positive E. coli followed by a second-line subtyping of stx genes that refines the definition of HUSEC to include only stx2a and stx2d . All other STEC strains are considered “low-risk” STEC.

The evolutionary path to extraintestinal pathogenic, drug-resistant Escherichia coli is marked by drastic reduction in detectable recombination within the core genome

Escherichia coli is a highly diverse group of pathogens ranging from commensal of the intestinal tract, through to intestinal pathogen, and extraintestinal pathogen. Here, we present data on the population diversity of E. coli, using Bayesian analysis to identify 13 distinct clusters within the population from multilocus sequence typing data, which map onto a whole-genome-derived phylogeny based on 62 genome sequences. Bayesian analysis of recombination within the core genome identified reduction in detectable core genome recombination as one moves from the commensals, through the intestinal pathogens down to the multidrug-resistant extraintestinal pathogenic clone E. coli ST131. Our data show that the emergence of a multidrug-resistant, extraintestinal pathogenic lineage of E. coli is marked by substantial reduction in detectable core genome recombination, resulting in a lineage which is phylogenetically distinct and sexually isolated in terms of core genome recombination.

Predicting the public health benefit of vaccinating cattle against Escherichia coli O157

Identifying the major sources of risk in disease transmission is key to designing effective controls. However, understanding of transmission dynamics across species boundaries is typically poor, making the design and evaluation of controls particularly challenging for zoonotic pathogens. One such global pathogen is Escherichia coli O157, which causes a serious and sometimes fatal gastrointestinal illness. Cattle are the main reservoir for E. coli O157, and vaccines for cattle now exist. However, adoption of vaccines is being delayed by conflicting responsibilities of veterinary and public health agencies, economic drivers, and because clinical trials cannot easily test interventions across species boundaries, lack of information on the public health benefits. Here, we examine transmission risk across the cattle-human species boundary and show three key results. First, supershedding of the pathogen by cattle is associated with the genetic marker stx2. Second, by quantifying the link between shedding density in cattle and human risk, we show that only the relatively rare supershedding events contribute significantly to human risk. Third, we show that this finding has profound consequences for the public health benefits of the cattle vaccine. A naïve evaluation based on efficacy in cattle would suggest a 50% reduction in risk; however, because the vaccine targets the major source of human risk, we predict a reduction in human cases of nearly 85%. By accounting for nonlinearities in transmission across the human-animal interface, we show that adoption of these vaccines by the livestock industry could prevent substantial numbers of human E. coli O157 cases.

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli as causes of hemolytic uremic syndrome in the Czech Republic

BACKGROUND

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) cause diarrhea-associated hemolytic uremic syndrome (D+ HUS) worldwide, but no systematic study of EHEC as the causative agents of HUS was performed in the Czech Republic. We analyzed stools of all patients with D+ HUS in the Czech Republic between 1998 and 2012 for evidence of EHEC infection. We determined virulence profiles, phenotypes, antimicrobial susceptibilities and phylogeny of the EHEC isolates.

METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

Virulence loci were identified using PCR, phenotypes and antimicrobial susceptibilities were determined using standard procedures, and phylogeny was assessed using multilocus sequence typing. During the 15-year period, EHEC were isolated from stools of 39 (69.4%) of 56 patients. The strains belonged to serotypes [fliC types] O157:H7/NM[fliC(H7)] (50% of which were sorbitol-fermenting; SF), O26:H11/NM[fliC(H11)], O55:NM[fliC(H7)], O111:NM[fliC(H8)], O145:H28[fliC(H28)], O172:NM[fliC(H25)], and Orough:NM[fliC(H250]. O26:H11/NM[fliC(H11)] was the most common serotype associated with HUS (41% isolates). Five stx genotypes were identified, the most frequent being stx(2a) (71.1% isolates). Most strains contained EHEC-hlyA encoding EHEC hemolysin, and a subset (all SF O157:NM and one O157:H7) harbored cdt-V encoding cytolethal distending toxin. espPα encoding serine protease EspPα was found in EHEC O157:H7, O26:H11/NM, and O145:H28, whereas O172:NM and Orough:NM strains contained espPγ. All isolates contained eae encoding adhesin intimin, which belonged to subtypes β (O26), γ (O55, O145, O157), γ2/θ (O111), and ε (O172, Orough). Loci encoding other adhesins (efa1, lpfA(O26), lpfA(O157OI-141), lpfA(O157OI-154), iha) were usually associated with particular serotypes. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated nine sequence types (STs) which correlated with serotypes. Of these, two STs (ST660 and ST1595) were not found in HUS-associated EHEC before.

CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE

EHEC strains, including O157:H7 and non-O157:H7, are frequent causes of D+ HUS in the Czech Republic. Identification of unusual EHEC serotypes/STs causing HUS calls for establishment of an European collection of HUS-associated EHEC, enabling to study properties and evolution of these important pathogens.

Lineage and genogroup-defining single nucleotide polymorphisms of Escherichia coli O157:H7

Escherichia coli O157:H7 is a zoonotic human pathogen for which cattle are an important reservoir host. Using both previously published and new sequencing data, a 48-locus single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based typing panel was developed that redundantly identified 11 genogroups that span six of the eight lineages recently described for E. coli O157:H7 (J. L. Bono, T. P. Smith, J. E. Keen, G. P. Harhay, T. G. McDaneld, R. E. Mandrell, W. K. Jung, T. E. Besser, P. Gerner-Smidt, M. Bielaszewska, H. Karch, M. L. Clawson, Mol. Biol. Evol. 29:2047-2062, 2012) and additionally defined subgroups within four of those lineages. This assay was applied to 530 isolates from human and bovine sources. The SNP-based lineage groups were concordant with previously identified E. coli O157:H7 genotypes identified by other methods and were strongly associated with carriage of specific Stx genes. Two SNP lineages (Ia and Vb) were disproportionately represented among cattle isolates, and three others (IIa, Ib, and IIb) were disproportionately represented among human clinical isolates. This 48-plex SNP assay efficiently and economically identifies biologically relevant lineages within E. coli O157:H7.

Multilocus genotype analysis of Escherichia coli O157 isolates from Australia and the United States provides evidence of geographic divergence

Escherichia coli O157 is a food-borne pathogen whose major reservoir has been identified as cattle. Recent genetic information has indicated that populations of E. coli O157 from cattle and humans can differ genetically and that this variation may have an impact on their ability to cause severe human disease. In addition, there is emerging evidence that E. coli O157 strains from different geographical regions may also be genetically divergent. To investigate the extent of this variation, we used Shiga toxin bacteriophage insertion sites (SBI), lineage-specific polymorphisms (LSPA-6), multilocus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis (MLVA), and a tir 255T>A polymorphism to examine 606 isolates representing both Australian and U.S. cattle and human populations. Both uni- and multivariate analyses of these data show a strong association between the country of origin and multilocus genotypes (P < 0.0001). In addition, our results identify factors that may play a role in virulence that also differed in isolates from each country, including the carriage of stx1 in the argW locus uniquely observed in Australian isolates and the much higher frequency of stx2-positive (also referred to as stx2a) strains in the U.S. isolates (4% of Australian isolates versus 72% of U.S. isolates). LSPA-6 lineages differed between the two continents, with the majority of Australian isolates belonging to lineage I/II (LI/II) (LI, 2%; LI/II, 85%; LII, 13%) and the majority of U.S. isolates belonging to LI (LI, 60%; LI/II, 16%; LII, 25%). The results of this study provide strong evidence of phylogeographic structuring of E. coli O157 populations, suggesting divergent evolution of enterohemorrhagic E. coli O157 in Australia and the United States.

Prevalence, genetic characterization and virulence genes of sorbitol-fermenting Escherichia coli O157:H- and E. coli O157:H7 isolated from retail beef

Sorbitol-fermenting (SF) Escherichia coli O157:H- strains have emerged as important pathogens and have been associated with a higher incidence of progression to hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS) than non-sorbitol fermenting (NSF) E. coli O157:H7. The present study was carried out to determine the prevalence of SF E. coli O157:H- and NSF E. coli O157:H7 strains in retail beef products in Mansoura, Egypt. The contamination rates with rfbEO157-positive E. coli O157 strains were 26.7% (8/30), 10% (3/30) and 3.7% (1/27) in ground beef, beef burger, and fresh beef samples, respectively with an overall mean of 13.8% (12/87) among all meat products tested. SF E. coli O157:H- were the most dominant among the isolated O157 strains. Of the fifteen O157 strains isolated, 11 (73.3%) were SF E. coli O157:H-, while the remaining 4 (26.7%) were NSF E. coli O157:H7. The 11 SF O157H- strains were genetically positive for sfpA gene. Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis for fliC gene demonstrated a similar pattern for both SF and NSF O157 isolates. PCR assays verified the existence of stx1 gene in 7 (46.7%) and stx2 gene in 13 (86.7%) of the 15 O157 strains isolated. Unexpectedly, two of the 15 O157 strains isolated were negative for Shiga toxin genes. The eae gene was identified in all of the 15 O157 strains except in one NSF O157:H7 strain. EHEC-hlyA gene was detected in 14 (93.3%) of the 15 O157 isolates, nonetheless only 11 strains showed enterohemolytic phenotype on blood agar. A combination of the four virulence genes, stx1, stx2, eae and EHEC-hlyA were detected in 7 (46.7%) strains, while six (40%) strains were positive for stx2, eae and hlyA genes. This is the first record for isolation of E. coli O157: H- in Egypt as well as in the African continent.

On the evolutionary history, population genetics and diversity among isolates of Salmonella Enteritidis PFGE pattern JEGX01.0004

Facile laboratory tools are needed to augment identification in contamination events to trace the contamination back to the source (traceback) of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Enteritidis (S. Enteritidis). Understanding the evolution and diversity within and among outbreak strains is the first step towards this goal. To this end, we collected 106 new S. Enteriditis isolates within S. Enteriditis Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE) pattern JEGX01.0004 and close relatives, and determined their genome sequences. Sources for these isolates spanned food, clinical and environmental farm sources collected during the 2010 S. Enteritidis shell egg outbreak in the United States along with closely related serovars, S. Dublin, S. Gallinarum biovar Pullorum and S. Gallinarum. Despite the highly homogeneous structure of this population, S. Enteritidis isolates examined in this study revealed thousands of SNP differences and numerous variable genes (n = 366). Twenty-one of these genes from the lineages leading to outbreak-associated samples had nonsynonymous (causing amino acid changes) changes and five genes are putatively involved in known Salmonella virulence pathways. While chromosome synteny and genome organization appeared to be stable among these isolates, genome size differences were observed due to variation in the presence or absence of several phages and plasmids, including phage RE-2010, phage P125109, plasmid pSEEE3072_19 (similar to pSENV), plasmid pOU1114 and two newly observed mobile plasmid elements pSEEE1729_15 and pSEEE0956_35. These differences produced modifications to the assembled bases for these draft genomes in the size range of approximately 4.6 to 4.8 mbp, with S. Dublin being larger (∼4.9 mbp) and S. Gallinarum smaller (4.55 mbp) when compared to S. Enteritidis. Finally, we identified variable S. Enteritidis genes associated with virulence pathways that may be useful markers for the development of rapid surveillance and typing methods, potentially aiding in traceback efforts during future outbreaks involving S. Enteritidis PFGE pattern JEGX01.0004.

Carriage of stx2a differentiates clinical and bovine-biased strains of Escherichia coli O157

Background

Shiga toxin (Stx) are cardinal virulence factors of enterohemorrhagic E. coli O157:H7 (EHEC O157). The gene content and genomic insertion sites of Stx-associated bacteriophages differentiate clinical genotypes of EHEC O157 (CG, typical of clinical isolates) from bovine-biased genotypes (BBG, rarely identified among clinical isolates). This project was designed to identify bacteriophage-mediated differences that may affect the virulence of CG and BBG.

Methods

Stx-associated bacteriophage differences were identified by whole genome optical scans and characterized among >400 EHEC O157 clinical and cattle isolates by PCR.

Results

Optical restriction maps of BBG strains consistently differed from those of CG strains only in the chromosomal insertion sites of Stx2-associated bacteriophages. Multiplex PCRs (stx1, stx2a, and stx2c as well as Stx-associated bacteriophage - chromosomal insertion site junctions) revealed four CG and three BBG that accounted for >90% of isolates. All BBG contained stx2c and Stx2c-associated bacteriophage – sbcB junctions. All CG contained stx2a and Stx2a-associated bacteriophage junctions in wrbA or argW.

Conclusions

Presence or absence of stx2a (or another product encoded by the Stx2a-associated bacteriophage) is a parsimonious explanation for differential virulence of BBG and CG, as reflected in the distributions of these genotypes in humans and in the cattle reservoir.

Genotypic Analysis of E. coli Strains Isolated from Patients with Cystitis and Pyelonephritis

BACKGROUND

Urinary tract infection is the most common health problem affecting millions of people each year, mainly caused by a large genetically heterogeneous group of Escherichia coli called uropathogenic E. coli This study investigates the genotypic analysis of E. coli strains isolated from patients with cystitis and pyelonephritis.

METHODS

During 2008-2009, 90 E. coli strains were analyzed, consisting of 48 isolates causing pyelonephritis in children and 42 isolates causing cystitis. Having identified the strains by standard methods, they were subtyped by pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and their corresponding patterns were compared using dendrogram.

RESULTS

Sixty five PFGE profiles were obtained from the genome of E. coli strains by this genotyping method. Thirty six and thirty three patterns were obtained for pyelonephritis and cystitis, respectively. Most strains exhi-bited twelve and thirteen bands and the patterns with eight or nineteen bands had the lowest rate. Genome sizes of the strains were between 1610-4170 kbp.

CONCLUSION

With due attention to these results, genetic patterns showed that the strains had different clonalities and it could be suggested in some cases that the strains causing pyelonephritis or cystitis have common patterns and different diseases could be explained by different gene factors.

Escherichia coli serotype O55:H7 diversity supports parallel acquisition of bacteriophage at Shiga toxin phage insertion sites during evolution of the O157:H7 lineage

Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) continues to be a leading cause of mortality and morbidity in children around the world. Two EPEC genomes have been fully sequenced: those of EPEC O127:H6 strain E2348/69 (United Kingdom, 1969) and EPEC O55:H7 strain CB9615 (Germany, 2003). The O55:H7 serotype is a recent precursor to the virulent enterohemorrhagic E. coli O157:H7. To explore the diversity of O55:H7 and better understand the clonal evolution of O157:H7, we fully sequenced EPEC O55:H7 strain RM12579 (California, 1974), which was collected 1 year before the first U.S. isolate of O157:H7 was identified in California. Phage-related sequences accounted for nearly all differences between the two O55:H7 strains. Additionally, O55:H7 and O157:H7 strains were tested for the presence and insertion sites of Shiga toxin gene (stx)-containing bacteriophages. Analysis of non-phage-associated genes supported core elements of previous O157:H7 stepwise evolutionary models, whereas phage composition and insertion analyses suggested a key refinement. Specifically, the placement and presence of lambda-like bacteriophages (including those containing stx) should not be considered stable evolutionary markers or be required in placing O55:H7 and O157:H7 strains within the stepwise evolutionary models. Additionally, we suggest that a 10.9-kb region (block 172) previously believed unique to O55:H7 strains can be used to identify early O157:H7 strains. Finally, we defined two subsets of O55:H7 strains that share an as-yet-unobserved or extinct common ancestor with O157:H7 strains. Exploration of O55:H7 diversity improved our understanding of the evolution of E. coli O157:H7 and suggested a key revision to accommodate existing and future configurations of stx-containing bacteriophages into current models.