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Virulence Genes, Antimicrobial Resistance Profiles and Genetic Diversity of Escherichia coli

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A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Antimicrobial Agents and Resistance".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2023) | Viewed by 33080

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Steven. P. Djordjevic

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Guest Editor

The iThree Institute, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
Interests: proteins; antimicrobials; microbial molecular biology; antibiotic resistance; molecular microbiology; pathogens; bacterial antibiotic resistance; biofilm formation; Escherichia coli; bacterial pathogenesis; microbial; pathogenesis; plasmids; molecular pathogenesisbacterial pathogenesis; molecular pathogenesis

Dr. Veronica Jarocki

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Guest Editor

Ithree Institute, University of Technology Sydney, Broadway, P.O. Box 123, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
Interests: One Health; microbial genomics; microbial proteomics; microbial ecology; antimicrobial resistance; plasmids; proteases; genomic epidemiology; mobile genetic elements; Escherichia coli; Mycoplasma; pathogenesis; microbial molecular biology; microbial pathogens

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Escherichia coli is a highly adaptive bacterium that is both a commensal intestinal organism and a versatile pathogen associated with multiple pathotypes causing both intestinal and systemic infections in humans and animals. E. coli is also a standard indicator organism for faecal pollution in water bodies, but environmental clades are comparatively less well-studied. The gamut of diseases caused by E. coli is often due to the acquisition of pathotype-specific virulence genes through horizontal gene transfer (HGT) mediated by mobile genetic elements (MGEs). This genetic plasticity has given rise to several hybrid pathotypes representing emerging health threats. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) determinants are also frequently carried on MGEs, and E. coli has played a central role in the global dissemination of AMR genes in enterobacterial populations in humans as well as food, companion, and wild animals, conferring resistance to clinically important and “last resort” antibiotics. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) is instrumental in tracking the transmission and diversification of bacterial populations and can provide comprehensive resistance and virulence genotypes. Given the ubiquitous nature and the proclivity of E. coli to engage in HGT, monitoring E. coli through a One Health lens—acknowledging the interconnectedness between human, animals, plants and their environment—can help to identify AMR and pathogen reservoirs, evolutionary hotspots, and transmission pathways, which in turn informs epidemiological studies and policy makers.

In this Microorganisms Special Issue, we welcome original research articles, review papers, and short commentaries. We especially encourage bodies of work which utilise WGS analyses for AMR and virulence surveillance in E. coli through a One Health perspective.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

Prevalence and antimicrobial resistance profiles across different E. coli pathotypes
Advances in genomic surveillance applications for E. coli
Characterisation of novel virulence, AMR, or hybrid E. coli plasmids and their transmission
Characterisation of novel hybrid E. coli pathovars and their transmission
Phylogenetic study of E. coli across a range of host species and environmental sources

Prof. Dr. Steven. P. Djordjevic
Dr. Veronica Jarocki
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Microorganisms is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Published Papers (11 papers)

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22 pages, 51179 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Antimicrobial Resistance and Biofilm Formation of Escherichia coli Isolated from Pig Farms and Surroundings in Bulgaria

by Mila D. Kaleva, Yana Ilieva, Maya Margaritova Zaharieva, Lyudmila Dimitrova, Tanya Chan Kim, Iva Tsvetkova, Yordan Georgiev, Petya Orozova, Krasimir Nedev and Hristo Najdenski

Microorganisms 2023, 11(8), 1909; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/microorganisms11081909 - 27 Jul 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1394

Abstract

Escherichia coli (E. coli) is a ubiquitous microorganism with pathogenic and saprophytic clones. The objective of this study was to evaluate the presence, virulence, antibiotic resistance and biofilm formation of E. coli in three industrial farms in Bulgaria, as well as their adjacent sites related to the utilization of manure (feces, wastewater in a separator, lagoons, means of transport, and soils). The isolation of single bacterial cultures was performed via standard procedures with modifications, and E. coli isolates were identified via matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The disk diffusion method was used to assess antimicrobial resistance, and PCR was used to detect genes for antibiotic resistance (GAR) (qnr, aac(3), ampC, blaSHV/blaTEM and erm) and virulence genes (stx, stx2all, LT, STa, F4 and eae). The protocol of Stepanović was utilized to measure the biofilm formation of the isolates. A total of 84 isolates from different samples (n = 53) were identified as E. coli. Almost all demonstrated antimicrobial resistance, and most of them demonstrated resistance to multiple antibiotics from different classes. No virulence genes coding the Shiga toxin or enterotoxins or those associated with enteropathogenicity were detected. No GAR from those tested for quinolones, aminoglycosides and macrolides were found. However, all isolates that were resistant to a penicillin-class antibiotic (56) had β-lactamase-producing plasmid genes. All of them had ampC, and 34 of them had blaTEM. A total of 14 isolates formed strongly adherent biofilms. These results in a country where the use of antibiotics for growth promotion and prophylaxis in farms is highly restricted corroborate that the global implemented policy on antibiotics in human medicine and in animal husbandry needs revision. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Virulence Genes, Antimicrobial Resistance Profiles and Genetic Diversity of Escherichia coli)

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18 pages, 1777 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Shiga-Toxin-Producing Strains of Escherichia coli O104:H4 and a Strain of O157:H7, Which Can Cause Human Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome, Differ in Biofilm Formation in the Presence of CO₂ and in Their Ability to Grow in a Novel Cell Culture Medium

by Kei Amemiya, David A. Rozak, Jennifer L. Dankmeyer, William R. Dorman, Charles Marchand, David P. Fetterer, Patricia L. Worsham and Brett K. Purcell

Microorganisms 2023, 11(7), 1744; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/microorganisms11071744 - 03 Jul 2023

Viewed by 1383

Abstract

One pathogen that commonly causes gastrointestinal illnesses from the consumption of contaminated food is Escherichia coli O157:H7. In 2011 in Germany, however, there was a prominent outbreak of bloody diarrhea with a high incidence of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) caused by an atypical, more virulent E. coli O104:H4 strain. To facilitate the identification of this lesser-known, atypical E. coli O104:H4 strain, we wanted to identify phenotypic differences between it and a strain of O157:H7 in different media and culture conditions. We found that E. coli O104:H4 strains produced considerably more biofilm than the strain of O157:H7 at 37 °C (p = 0.0470–0.0182) Biofilm production was significantly enhanced by the presence of 5% CO₂ (p = 0.0348–0.0320). In our study on the innate immune response to the E. coli strains, we used HEK293 cells that express Toll-like receptors (TLRs) 2 or 4. We found that E. coli O104:H4 strains had the ability to grow in a novel HEK293 cell culture medium, while the E. coli O157:H7 strain could not. Thus, we uncovered previously unknown phenotypic properties of E. coli O104:H4 to further differentiate this pathogen from E. coli O157:H7. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Virulence Genes, Antimicrobial Resistance Profiles and Genetic Diversity of Escherichia coli)

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16 pages, 8350 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Whole Genome Sequencing of Avian Pathogenic Escherichia coli Causing Bacterial Chondronecrosis and Osteomyelitis in Australian Poultry

by Max L. Cummins, Dmitriy Li, Aeman Ahmad, Rhys Bushell, Amir H. Noormohammadi, Dinidu S. Wijesurendra, Andrew Stent, Marc S. Marenda and Steven P. Djordjevic

Microorganisms 2023, 11(6), 1513; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/microorganisms11061513 - 06 Jun 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1264

Abstract

Bacterial chondronecrosis with osteomyelitis (BCO) impacts animal welfare and productivity in the poultry industry worldwide, yet it has an understudied pathogenesis. While Avian Pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) are known to be one of the main causes, there is a lack of whole genome sequence data, with only a few BCO-associated APEC (APEC_BCO) genomes available in public databases. In this study, we conducted an analysis of 205 APEC_BCO genome sequences to generate new baseline phylogenomic knowledge regarding the diversity of E. coli sequence types and the presence of virulence associated genes (VAGs). Our findings revealed the following: (i) APEC_BCO are phylogenetically and genotypically similar to APEC that cause colibacillosis (APEC_colibac), with globally disseminated APEC sequence types ST117, ST57, ST69, and ST95 being predominate; (ii) APEC_BCO are frequent carriers of ColV-like plasmids that carry a similar set of VAGs as those found in APEC_colibac. Additionally, we performed genomic comparisons, including a genome-wide association study, with a complementary collection of geotemporally-matched genomes of APEC from multiple cases of colibacillosis (APEC_colibac). Our genome-wide association study found no evidence of novel virulence loci unique to APEC_BCO. Overall, our data indicate that APEC_BCO and APEC_colibac are not distinct subpopulations of APEC. Our publication of these genomes substantially increases the available collection of APEC_BCO genomes and provides insights for the management and treatment strategies of lameness in poultry. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Virulence Genes, Antimicrobial Resistance Profiles and Genetic Diversity of Escherichia coli)

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14 pages, 3374 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Glutamate Transporters GltS, GltP and GltI Are Involved in Escherichia coli Tolerance In Vitro and Pathogenicity in Mouse Urinary Tract Infections

by Hongxia Niu, Tuodi Li, Yunjie Du, Zhuoxuan Lv, Qianqian Cao and Ying Zhang

Microorganisms 2023, 11(5), 1173; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/microorganisms11051173 - 29 Apr 2023

Viewed by 1418

Abstract

To verify the roles of GltS, GltP, and GltI in E. coli tolerance and pathogenicity, we quantified and compared the relative abundance of gltS, gltP, and gltI in log-phase and stationary-phase E. coli and constructed their knockout mutant strains in E. coli BW25113 and uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) separately, followed by analysis of their abilities to tolerate antibiotics and stressors, their capacity for adhesion to and invasion of human bladder epithelial cells, and their survival ability in mouse urinary tracts. Our results showed that gltS, gltP, and gltI transcripts were higher in stationary phase E. coli than in log-phase incubation. Furthermore, deletion of gltS, gltP, and gltI genes in E. coli BW25113 results in decreased tolerance to antibiotics (levofloxacin and ofloxacin) and stressors (acid pH, hyperosmosis, and heat), and loss of gltS, gltP, and gltI in uropathogenic E. coli UTI89 caused attenuated adhesion and invasion in human bladder epithelial cells and markedly reduced survival in mice. The results showed the important roles of the glutamate transporter genes gltI, gltP, and gltS in E. coli tolerance to antibiotics (levofloxacin and ofloxacin) and stressors (acid pH, hyperosmosis, and heat) in vitro and in pathogenicity in mouse urinary tracts and human bladder epithelial cells, as shown by reduced survival and colonization, which improves our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of bacterial tolerance and pathogenicity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Virulence Genes, Antimicrobial Resistance Profiles and Genetic Diversity of Escherichia coli)

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13 pages, 1674 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Escherichia coli O80 in Healthy Cattle: Absence of Shigatoxigenic and Enteropathogenic E. coli O80:H2 and (Phylo) Genomics of Non-Clonal Complex 165 E. coli O80

by Rie Ikeda, Keiji Nakamura, Marc Saulmont, Audrey Habets, Jean-Noël Duprez, Nicolas Korsak, Tetsuya Hayashi, Damien Thiry and Jacques G. Mainil

Microorganisms 2023, 11(2), 230; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/microorganisms11020230 - 17 Jan 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1602

Abstract

The origin of human and calf infections by Shigatoxigenic (STEC) and enteropathogenic (EPEC) Escherichia coli O80:H2 is still unknown. The aim of this study was to identify E. coli O80 in healthy cattle with an emphasis on melibiose non-fermenting E. coli O80:H2. Faecal materials collected from 149 bulls at 1 slaughterhouse and 194 cows on 9 farms were tested with O80 antigen-encoding gene PCR after overnight growth in enrichment broths. The 53 O80 PCR-positive broths were streaked on different (semi-)selective agar plates. Five E. coli colonies from 3 bulls and 11 from 2 cows tested positive with the O80 PCR, but no melibiose non-fermenting E. coli was isolated. However, these 16 E. coli O80 were negative with PCR targeting the fliC_H2, eae, stx1, stx2 and hlyF genes and were identified by WGS to serotypes and sequence types O80:H6/ST8619 and O80:H45/ST4175. They were phylogenetically related to E. coli O80:H6 and O80:H45 isolated from different animal species in different countries, respectively, but neither to STEC and EPEC O80:H2/ST301, nor to other serotypes of the clonal complex 165. As a conclusion, healthy adult cattle were not identified as a source of contamination of humans and calves by STEC or EPEC O80:H2. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Virulence Genes, Antimicrobial Resistance Profiles and Genetic Diversity of Escherichia coli)

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17 pages, 1387 KiB

Open AccessArticle

High Virulence and Multidrug Resistance of Escherichia coli Isolated in Periodontal Disease

by Tania Hernández-Jaimes, Eric Monroy-Pérez, Javier Garzón, Rosario Morales-Espinosa, Armando Navarro-Ocaña, Luis Rey García-Cortés, Nancy Nolasco-Alonso, Fátima Korina Gaytán-Núñez, Moisés Moreno-Noguez, Felipe Vaca-Paniagua, Ernesto Arturo Rojas-Jiménez and Gloria Luz Paniagua-Contreras

Microorganisms 2023, 11(1), 45; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/microorganisms11010045 - 23 Dec 2022

Viewed by 1703

Abstract

Periodontal disease is caused by different gram-negative anaerobic bacteria; however, Escherichia coli has also been isolated from periodontitis and its role in periodontitis is less known. This study aimed to determine the variability in virulence genotype, antibiotic resistance phenotype, biofilm formation, phylogroups, and serotypes in different emerging periodontal strains of Escherichia coli, isolated from patients with periodontal disease and healthy controls. E. coli, virulence genes, and phylogroups, were identified by PCR, antibiotic susceptibility by the Kirby-Bauer method, biofilm formation was quantified using polystyrene microtiter plates, and serotypes were determined by serotyping. Although E. coli was not detected in the controls (n = 70), it was isolated in 14.7% (100/678) of the patients. Most of the strains (n = 81/100) were multidrug-resistance. The most frequent adhesion genes among the strains were fimH and iha, toxin genes were usp and hlyA, iron-acquisition genes were fyuA and irp2, and protectin genes were ompT, and KpsMT. Phylogroup B2 and serotype O25:H4 were the most predominant among the strains. These findings suggest that E. coli may be involved in periodontal disease due to its high virulence, multidrug-resistance, and a wide distribution of phylogroups and serotypes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Virulence Genes, Antimicrobial Resistance Profiles and Genetic Diversity of Escherichia coli)

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23 pages, 32843 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Gene Networks and Pathways Involved in Escherichia coli Response to Multiple Stressors

by Eman K. Abdelwahed, Nahla A. Hussein, Ahmed Moustafa, Nayera A. Moneib and Ramy K. Aziz

Microorganisms 2022, 10(9), 1793; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms10091793 - 06 Sep 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3751

Abstract

Stress response helps microorganisms survive extreme environmental conditions and host immunity, making them more virulent or drug resistant. Although both reductionist approaches investigating specific genes and systems approaches analyzing individual stress conditions are being used, less is known about gene networks involved in multiple stress responses. Here, using a systems biology approach, we mined hundreds of transcriptomic data sets for key genes and pathways involved in the tolerance of the model microorganism Escherichia coli to multiple stressors. Specifically, we investigated the E. coli K-12 MG1655 transcriptome under five stresses: heat, cold, oxidative stress, nitrosative stress, and antibiotic treatment. Overlaps of transcriptional changes between studies of each stress factor and between different stressors were determined: energy-requiring metabolic pathways, transport, and motility are typically downregulated to conserve energy, while genes related to survival, bona fide stress response, biofilm formation, and DNA repair are mainly upregulated. The transcription of 15 genes with uncharacterized functions is higher in response to multiple stressors, which suggests they may play pivotal roles in stress response. In conclusion, using rank normalization of transcriptomic data, we identified a set of E. coli stress response genes and pathways, which could be potential targets to overcome antibiotic tolerance or multidrug resistance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Virulence Genes, Antimicrobial Resistance Profiles and Genetic Diversity of Escherichia coli)

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20 pages, 4520 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comparative Genomic Analysis of Antimicrobial-Resistant Escherichia coli from South American Camelids in Central Germany

by Belén González-Santamarina, Michael Weber, Christian Menge and Christian Berens

Microorganisms 2022, 10(9), 1697; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/microorganisms10091697 - 24 Aug 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2060

Abstract

South American camelids (SAC) are increasingly kept in Europe in close contact with humans and other livestock species and can potentially contribute to transmission chains of epizootic, zoonotic and antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) agents from and to livestock and humans. Consequently, SAC were included as livestock species in the new European Animal Health Law. However, the knowledge on bacteria exhibiting AMR in SAC is too scarce to draft appropriate monitoring and preventive programs. During a survey of SAC holdings in central Germany, 39 Escherichia coli strains were isolated from composite fecal samples by selecting for cephalosporin or fluoroquinolone resistance and were here subjected to whole-genome sequencing. The data were bioinformatically analyzed for strain phylogeny, detection of pathovars, AMR genes and plasmids. Most (33/39) strains belonged to phylogroups A and B1. Still, the isolates were highly diverse, as evidenced by 28 multi-locus sequence types. More than half of the isolates (23/39) were genotypically classified as multidrug resistant. Genes mediating resistance to trimethoprim/sulfonamides (22/39), aminoglycosides (20/39) and tetracyclines (18/39) were frequent. The most common extended-spectrum-β-lactamase gene was bla_CTX-M-1 (16/39). One strain was classified as enteropathogenic E. coli. The positive results indicate the need to include AMR bacteria in yet-to-be-established animal disease surveillance protocols for SAC. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Virulence Genes, Antimicrobial Resistance Profiles and Genetic Diversity of Escherichia coli)

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13 pages, 2765 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Genomic Analysis of an I1 Plasmid Hosting a sul3-Class 1 Integron and bla_SHV-12 within an Unusual Escherichia coli ST297 from Urban Wildlife

by Ethan R. Wyrsch, Monika Dolejska and Steven P. Djordjevic

Microorganisms 2022, 10(7), 1387; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/microorganisms10071387 - 10 Jul 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1565

Abstract

Wild birds, particularly silver gulls (Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae) that nest near anthropogenic sites, often harbour bacteria resistant to multiple antibiotics, including those considered of clinical importance. Here, we describe the whole genome sequence of Escherichia coli isolate CE1867 from a silver gull chick sampled in 2012 that hosted an I1 pST25 plasmid with bla_SHV-12, a β-lactamase gene that encodes the ability to hydrolyze oxyimino β-lactams, and other antibiotic resistance genes. Isolate CE1867 is an ST297 isolate, a phylogroup B1 lineage, and clustered with a large ST297 O130:H11 clade, which carry Shiga toxin genes. The I1 plasmid belongs to plasmid sequence type 25 and is notable for its carriage of an atypical sul3-class 1 integron with mefB_∆260, a structure most frequently reported in Australia from swine. This integron is a typical example of a Tn21-derived element that captured sul3 in place of the standard sul1 structure. Interestingly, the mercury resistance (mer) module of Tn21 is missing and has been replaced with Tn2-bla_TEM-1 and a bla_SHV-12 encoding module flanked by direct copies of IS26. Comparisons to similar plasmids, however, demonstrate a closely related family of ARG-carrying plasmids that all host variants of the sul3-associated integron with conserved Tn21 insertion points and a variable presence of both mer and mefB truncations, but predominantly mefB_∆260. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Virulence Genes, Antimicrobial Resistance Profiles and Genetic Diversity of Escherichia coli)

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15 pages, 1016 KiB

Open AccessCommunication

Genomic Profiling of Antibiotic-Resistant Escherichia coli Isolates from Surface Water of Agricultural Drainage in North-Western Mexico: Detection of the International High-Risk Lineages ST410 and ST617

by José Antonio Magaña-Lizárraga, Bruno Gómez-Gil, José Guadalupe Rendón-Maldonado, Francisco Delgado-Vargas, Inés Fernando Vega-López and María Elena Báez-Flores

Microorganisms 2022, 10(3), 662; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/microorganisms10030662 - 20 Mar 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3804

Abstract

Aquatic environments are recognized as one of the main reservoirs for the emergence and dissemination of high-risk lineages of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria of public health concern. However, the genomic characteristics of antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli isolates from aquatic origins remain limited. Herein, we examined the antibiotic resistance and virulence genomic profiles of three E. coli recovered from surface water in northwest Mexico. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing, whole-genome sequencing (WGS), and in-depth in silico analysis were performed. Two E. coli exhibited MDR phenotypes. WGS-based typing revealed genetic diversity, and phylogenetic analysis corroborated a notable divergent relationship among the studied E. coli. One E. coli strain, harboring enterotoxigenic and extraintestinal pathogenic-associated virulence genes, was assigned to the ST4 lineage. MDR E. coli, belonging to the international high-risk clones ST410 and ST617, carried genes and mutations conferring resistance to aminoglycosides, β-lactams, quinolones, sulfonamides, tetracyclines, and trimethoprim. This study describes, for the first time, the detection and genomic profiling of high-risk lineages of E. coli ST410 and ST617 from surface water in Mexico. Additionally, our results underscore the role of surface water as a reservoir for critical pathogenic and MDR E. coli clones and the need for the surveillance and monitoring of aquatic environments via WGS from the One Health perspective. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Virulence Genes, Antimicrobial Resistance Profiles and Genetic Diversity of Escherichia coli)

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54 pages, 2728 KiB

Open AccessReview

The Diversity of Escherichia coli Pathotypes and Vaccination Strategies against This Versatile Bacterial Pathogen

by Pravil Pokharel, Sabin Dhakal and Charles M. Dozois

Microorganisms 2023, 11(2), 344; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/microorganisms11020344 - 30 Jan 2023

Cited by 30 | Viewed by 11122

Abstract

Escherichia coli (E. coli) is a gram-negative bacillus and resident of the normal intestinal microbiota. However, some E. coli strains can cause diseases in humans, other mammals and birds ranging from intestinal infections, for example, diarrhea and dysentery, to extraintestinal infections, such as urinary tract infections, respiratory tract infections, meningitis, and sepsis. In terms of morbidity and mortality, pathogenic E. coli has a great impact on public health, with an economic cost of several billion dollars annually worldwide. Antibiotics are not usually used as first-line treatment for diarrheal illness caused by E. coli and in the case of bloody diarrhea, antibiotics are avoided due to the increased risk of hemolytic uremic syndrome. On the other hand, extraintestinal infections are treated with various antibiotics depending on the site of infection and susceptibility testing. Several alarming papers concerning the rising antibiotic resistance rates in E. coli strains have been published. The silent pandemic of multidrug-resistant bacteria including pathogenic E. coli that have become more difficult to treat favored prophylactic approaches such as E. coli vaccines. This review provides an overview of the pathogenesis of different pathotypes of E. coli, the virulence factors involved and updates on the major aspects of vaccine development against different E. coli pathotypes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Virulence Genes, Antimicrobial Resistance Profiles and Genetic Diversity of Escherichia coli)

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