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Hoyle DV, Wee BA, Macleod K, Chase-Topping ME, Bease AG, Tongue SC, Gally DL, Delannoy S, Fach P, Pearce MC, Gunn GJ, Holmes A, Allison L. Phylogenetic relationship and virulence composition of Escherichia coli O26:H11 cattle and human strain collections in Scotland; 2002-2020. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1260422. [PMID: 38029122 PMCID: PMC10657854 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1260422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
O26 is the commonest non-O157 Shiga toxin (stx)-producing Escherichia coli serogroup reported in human infections worldwide. Ruminants, particularly cattle, are the primary reservoir source for human infection. In this study, we compared the whole genomes and virulence profiles of O26:H11 strains (n = 99) isolated from Scottish cattle with strains from human infections (n = 96) held by the Scottish Escherichia coli O157/STEC Reference Laboratory, isolated between 2002 and 2020. Bovine strains were from two national cross-sectional cattle surveys conducted between 2002-2004 and 2014-2015. A maximum likelihood phylogeny was constructed from a core-genome alignment with the O26:H11 strain 11368 reference genome. Genomes were screened against a panel of 2,710 virulence genes using the Virulence Finder Database. All stx-positive bovine O26:H11 strains belonged to the ST21 lineage and were grouped into three main clades. Bovine and human source strains were interspersed, and the stx subtype was relatively clade-specific. Highly pathogenic stx2a-only ST21 strains were identified in two herds sampled in the second cattle survey and in human clinical infections from 2010 onwards. The closest pairwise distance was 9 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) between Scottish bovine and human strains and 69 SNPs between the two cattle surveys. Bovine O26:H11 was compared to public EnteroBase ST29 complex genomes and found to have the greatest commonality with O26:H11 strains from the rest of the UK, followed by France, Italy, and Belgium. Virulence profiles of stx-positive bovine and human strains were similar but more conserved for the stx2a subtype. O26:H11 stx-negative ST29 (n = 17) and ST396 strains (n = 5) were isolated from 19 cattle herds; all were eae-positive, and 10 of these herds yielded strains positive for ehxA, espK, and Z2098, gene markers suggestive of enterohaemorrhagic potential. There was a significant association (p < 0.001) between nucleotide sequence percent identity and stx status for the bacteriophage insertion site genes yecE for stx2 and yehV for stx1. Acquired antimicrobial resistance genes were identified in silico in 12.1% of bovine and 17.7% of human O26:H11 strains, with sul2, tet, aph(3″), and aph(6″) being most common. This study describes the diversity among Scottish bovine O26:H11 strains and investigates their relationship to human STEC infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deborah V. Hoyle
- Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Bryan A. Wee
- Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Kareen Macleod
- Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Margo E. Chase-Topping
- Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew G. Bease
- Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Sue C. Tongue
- Centre for Epidemiology and Planetary Health, Department of Veterinary and Animal Science, North Faculty, Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), Inverness, United Kingdom
| | - David L. Gally
- Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Sabine Delannoy
- Unité ColiPath – Plateforme IdentyPath, Laboratoire de Sécurité des Aliments, Agence Nationale De Sécurité Sanitaire de l’alimentation, de l’environnement et du travail (ANSES), Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Patrick Fach
- Unité ColiPath – Plateforme IdentyPath, Laboratoire de Sécurité des Aliments, Agence Nationale De Sécurité Sanitaire de l’alimentation, de l’environnement et du travail (ANSES), Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Michael C. Pearce
- Centre for Epidemiology and Planetary Health, Department of Veterinary and Animal Science, North Faculty, Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), Inverness, United Kingdom
| | - George J. Gunn
- Centre for Epidemiology and Planetary Health, Department of Veterinary and Animal Science, North Faculty, Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), Inverness, United Kingdom
| | - Anne Holmes
- Scottish E. coli O157/STEC Reference Laboratory (SERL), Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Lesley Allison
- Scottish E. coli O157/STEC Reference Laboratory (SERL), Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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Zajančkauskaitė A, Noreika A, Rutkienė R, Meškys R, Kaliniene L. Low-Temperature Virus vB_EcoM_VR26 Shows Potential in Biocontrol of STEC O26:H11. Foods 2021; 10:1500. [PMID: 34203373 DOI: 10.3390/foods10071500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Revised: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O26:H11 is an emerging foodborne pathogen of growing concern. Since current strategies to control microbial contamination in foodstuffs do not guarantee the elimination of O26:H11, novel approaches are needed. Bacteriophages present an alternative to traditional biocontrol methods used in the food industry. Here, a previously isolated bacteriophage vB_EcoM_VR26 (VR26), adapted to grow at common refrigeration temperatures (4 and 8 °C), has been evaluated for its potential as a biocontrol agent against O26:H11. After 2 h of treatment in broth, VR26 reduced O26:H11 numbers (p < 0.01) by > 2 log10 at 22 °C, and ~3 log10 at 4 °C. No bacterial regrowth was observed after 24 h of treatment at both temperatures. When VR26 was introduced to O26:H11-inoculated lettuce, ~2.0 log10 CFU/piece reduction was observed at 4, 8, and 22 °C. No survivors were detected after 4 and 6 h at 8 and 4 °C, respectively. Although at 22 °C, bacterial regrowth was observed after 6 h of treatment, O26:H11 counts on non-treated samples were >2 log10 CFU/piece higher than on phage-treated ones (p < 0.02). This, and the ability of VR26 to survive over a pH range of 3-11, indicates that VR26 could be used to control STEC O26:H11 in the food industry.
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Smith AM, Tau NP, Kalule BJ, Nicol MP, McCulloch M, Jacobs CA, McCarthy KM, Ismail A, Allam M, Kleynhans J. Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O26:H11 associated with a cluster of haemolytic uraemic syndrome cases in South Africa, 2017. Access Microbiol 2019; 1:e000061. [PMID: 32974561 PMCID: PMC7472548 DOI: 10.1099/acmi.0.000061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2019] [Accepted: 08/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are foodborne pathogens that may cause diarrhoeal outbreaks and occasionally are associated with haemolytic-uraemic syndrome (HUS). We report on STEC O26:H11 associated with a cluster of four HUS cases in South Africa in 2017. METHODOLOGY All case-patients were female and aged 5 years and under. Standard microbiological tests were performed for culture and identification of STEC from specimens (human stool and food samples). Further analysis of genomic DNA extracted from bacterial cultures and specimens included PCR for specific virulence genes, whole-genome sequencing and shotgun metagenomic sequencing. RESULTS For 2/4 cases, stool specimens revealed STEC O26:H11 containing eae, stx2a and stx2b virulence genes. All food samples were found to be negative for STEC. No epidemiological links could be established between the HUS cases. Dried meat products were the leading food item suspected to be the vehicle of transmission for these cases, as 3/4 case-patients reported they had eaten this. However, testing of dried meat products could not confirm this. CONCLUSION Since STEC infection does not always lead to severe symptoms, it is possible that many more cases were associated with this cluster and largely went unrecognized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony M. Smith
- Centre for Enteric Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), Johannesburg, South Africa
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Nomsa P. Tau
- Centre for Enteric Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Bosco J. Kalule
- Division of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Mark P. Nicol
- Division of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
| | - Mignon McCulloch
- Red Cross Children’s Hospital, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Charlene A. Jacobs
- Communicable Disease Control, Department of Health, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Kerrigan M. McCarthy
- Division of Public Health Surveillance and Response, NICD, NHLS, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Arshad Ismail
- Sequencing Core Facility, NICD, NHLS, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Mushal Allam
- Sequencing Core Facility, NICD, NHLS, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Jackie Kleynhans
- South African Field Epidemiology Training Programme, NICD, NHLS, Johannesburg, South Africa
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Petro CD, Trojnar E, Sinclair J, Liu ZM, Smith M, O'Brien AD, Melton-Celsa A. Shiga Toxin Type 1a (Stx1a) Reduces the Toxicity of the More Potent Stx2a In Vivo and In Vitro. Infect Immun 2019; 87:e00787-18. [PMID: 30670557 DOI: 10.1128/IAI.00787-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2018] [Accepted: 01/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Shiga toxin (Stx)-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) causes foodborne outbreaks of bloody diarrhea. There are two major types of immunologically distinct Stxs: Stx1a and Stx2a. Stx1a is more cytotoxic to Vero cells than Stx2a, but Stx2a has a lower 50% lethal dose (LD50) in mice. Epidemiological data suggest that infections by STEC strains that produce only Stx2a progress more often to a life-threatening sequela of infection called hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS) than isolates that make Stx1a only or produce both Stx1a and Stx2a. In this study, we found that an E. coli O26:H11 strain that produces both Stx1a and Stx2a was virulent in streptomycin- and ciprofloxacin-treated mice and that mice were protected by administration of an anti-Stx2 antibody. However, we discovered that in the absence of ciprofloxacin, neutralization of Stx1a enhanced the virulence of the strain, a result that corroborated our previous finding that Stx1a reduces the toxicity of Stx2a by the oral route. We further found that intraperitoneal administration of the purified Stx1a B subunit delayed the mean time to death of mice intoxicated with Stx2a and reduced the cytotoxic effect of Stx2a on Vero cells. Taken together, our data suggest that Stx1a reduces both the pathogenicity of Stx2 in vivo and cytotoxicity in vitro.
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Bonanno L, Delubac B, Michel V, Auvray F. Influence of Stress Factors Related to Cheese-Making Process and to STEC Detection Procedure on the Induction of Stx Phages from STEC O26:H11. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:296. [PMID: 28316592 PMCID: PMC5334336 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.00296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2016] [Accepted: 02/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are responsible for human infections, ranging from mild watery diarrhea to hemorrhagic colitis (CH) that may be complicated by hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). The main STEC virulence factor is Shiga toxin encoded by the stx gene, located in the genome of a bacteriophage integrated into the bacterial chromosome. The serotype O26:H11 is the second HUS-causing serotype worldwide (after O157:H7), and the first found in dairy products such as raw-milk cheeses. A small number of HUS cases identified each year in France are caused by serotype O26:H11. Stx phage induction is known to result in STEC lysis and release of new Stx phages particles. This phenomenon could negatively impact STEC screening in foods based on stx gene detection by PCR. Here, we evaluated the influence of physicochemical parameters related to cheese-making process on the induction rate of Stx phages from STEC O26:H11, including H2O2, NaCl, lactic acid and temperature. In addition, selective agents from the analytical STEC enrichment and detection procedure (XP CEN ISO/TS 13136) were tested, including novobiocin, acrifavin, cefixim-tellurite, and bile salts. An impact of H2O2 and NaCl on Stx phage induction was observed. Production of Stx phages was also observed during a real cheese-making process. By contrast, no significant effect could be demonstrated for the chemical agents of the STEC detection procedure when tested separately, except for acriflavin and novobiocin which reduced Stx1 phage production in some cases. In conclusion, these results suggest that the cheese-making process might trigger the production of Stx phages, potentially interfering with the analysis of STEC in food.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ludivine Bonanno
- Université Paris-Est, Anses, Laboratory for Food SafetyMaisons-Alfort, France
- ACTALIA Produits Laitiers, Laboratoire de Microbiologie d’Intérêt LaitierLa Roche sur Foron, France
| | - Benjamin Delubac
- Université Paris-Est, Anses, Laboratory for Food SafetyMaisons-Alfort, France
- ACTALIA Produits Laitiers, Laboratoire de Microbiologie d’Intérêt LaitierLa Roche sur Foron, France
| | - Valérie Michel
- ACTALIA Produits Laitiers, Laboratoire de Microbiologie d’Intérêt LaitierLa Roche sur Foron, France
| | - Frédéric Auvray
- Université Paris-Est, Anses, Laboratory for Food SafetyMaisons-Alfort, France
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Krüger A, Lucchesi PMA, Sanso AM, Etcheverría AI, Bustamante AV, Burgán J, Fernández L, Fernández D, Leotta G, Friedrich AW, Padola NL, Rossen JWA. Genetic characterization of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O26:H11 strains isolated from animal, food, and clinical samples. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2015; 5:74. [PMID: 26539413 PMCID: PMC4612136 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2015.00074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2015] [Accepted: 10/05/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The Shiga-toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) may cause serious illness in human. Here we analyze O26:H11 strains known to be among the most reported STEC strains causing human infections. Genetic characterization of strains isolated from animal, food, and clinical specimens in Argentina showed that most carried either stx1a or stx2a subtypes. Interestingly, stx2a-positive O26:H11 rarely isolated from cattle in other countries showed to be an important proportion of O26:H11 strains circulating in cattle and food in our region. Seventeen percent of the isolates harbored more than one gene associated with antimicrobial resistance. In addition to stx, all strains contained the virulence genes eae-β, tir, efa, iha, espB, cif, espA, espF, espJ, nleA, nleB, nleC, and iss; and all except one contained ehxA, espP, and cba genes. On the other hand, toxB and espI genes were exclusively observed in stx2-positive isolates, whereas katP was only found in stx1a-positive isolates. Our results show that O26:H11 STEC strains circulating in Argentina, including those isolated from humans, cattle, and meat products, present a high pathogenic potential, and evidence that cattle can be a reservoir of O26:H11 strains harboring stx2a.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandra Krüger
- Laboratorio de Inmunoquímica y Biotecnología, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires Tandil, Argentina
| | - Paula M A Lucchesi
- Laboratorio de Inmunoquímica y Biotecnología, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires Tandil, Argentina
| | - A Mariel Sanso
- Laboratorio de Inmunoquímica y Biotecnología, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires Tandil, Argentina
| | - Analía I Etcheverría
- Laboratorio de Inmunoquímica y Biotecnología, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires Tandil, Argentina
| | - Ana V Bustamante
- Laboratorio de Inmunoquímica y Biotecnología, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires Tandil, Argentina
| | - Julia Burgán
- Laboratorio de Inmunoquímica y Biotecnología, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires Tandil, Argentina
| | - Luciana Fernández
- Laboratorio de Inmunoquímica y Biotecnología, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires Tandil, Argentina
| | - Daniel Fernández
- Laboratorio de Inmunoquímica y Biotecnología, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires Tandil, Argentina
| | - Gerardo Leotta
- Línea Seguridad Alimentaria, Instituto de Genética Veterinaria Ing. F.N. Dulout, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas La Plata, Argentina
| | - Alexander W Friedrich
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Nora L Padola
- Laboratorio de Inmunoquímica y Biotecnología, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires Tandil, Argentina
| | - John W A Rossen
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen Groningen, Netherlands
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