Whole genome sequencing detects minimal clustering among Escherichia coli Sequence Type 131 H30 isolates collected from U.S. children’s hospitals
AbstractEscherichia coli sequence type 131 H30 has garnered global attention as a dominant antimicrobial-resistant lineage of extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli, but its transmission dynamics remain undefined. We applied whole genome sequencing to identify putative transmission clusters among clinical isolates of H30 from children across the U.S. Of 126 isolates, 17 were involved in 8 putative transmission clusters; 4 clusters involved isolates with some evidence of healthcare-associated epidemiologic linkages. Geographic clustering analyses showed weak geographic clustering. These findings are consistent with a framework where within-hospital transmission is not a main contributor to the propagation of H30 in a pediatric setting.