scholarly journals Virulence Genes in Expanded-Spectrum-Cephalosporin-Resistant and -Susceptible Escherichia coli Isolates from Treated and Untreated Chickens

2015 ◽  
Vol 60 (3) ◽  
pp. 1874-1877 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Baron ◽  
S. Delannoy ◽  
S. Bougeard ◽  
E. Larvor ◽  
E. Jouy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Antimicrobial Resistance ◽  
Virulence Factors ◽  
Shiga Toxin ◽  
Virulence Genes ◽  
Phylogenetic Groups ◽  
Content Type ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Heat Stable ◽  
Intestinal Infections

This study investigated antimicrobial resistance, screened for the presence of virulence genes involved in intestinal infections, and determined phylogenetic groups ofEscherichia coliisolates from untreated poultry and poultry treated with ceftiofur, an expanded-spectrum cephalosporin. Results show that none of the 76 isolates appeared to be Shiga toxin-producingE. colior enteropathogenicE. coli. All isolates were negative for the major virulence factors/toxins tested (ehxA,cdt, heat-stable enterotoxin [ST], and heat-labile enterotoxin [LT]). The few virulence genes harbored in isolates generally did not correlate with isolate antimicrobial resistance or treatment status. However, some of the virulence genes were significantly associated with certain phylogenetic groups.

scholarly journals Hybrid Shiga Toxin-Producing and Enterotoxigenic Escherichia sp. Cryptic Lineage 1 Strain 7v Harbors a Hybrid Plasmid

2016 ◽  
Vol 82 (14) ◽  
pp. 4309-4319 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan R. Leonard ◽  
Mark K. Mammel ◽  
David A. Rasko ◽  
David W. Lacher
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Virulence Factors ◽  
Shiga Toxin ◽  
Virulence Genes ◽  
Clinical Samples ◽  
Hybrid Strain ◽  
Content Type ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Cryptic Lineage

ABSTRACTHybrid isolates of Shiga toxin-producingEscherichia coli(STEC) and enterotoxigenicE. coli(ETEC) encoding heat-stable enterotoxin (ST) are being reported with increasing frequency from a variety of sources. However, information regarding the plasmids that these strains harbor is scarce. In this study, we sequence and characterize a plasmid, p7v, from the STEC/ETEC hybrid strain 7v. Whole-genome phylogenetic analyses of STEC/ETEC hybrid strains and prototypeE. coliisolates of other pathotypes placed 7v in theEscherichiasp. cryptic lineage 1 (CL1) clade. The complete plasmid, p7v, was determined to be 229,275 bp and encodes putative virulence factors that are typically carried on STEC plasmids as well as those often carried on ETEC plasmids, indicating that the hybrid nature of the strain extends beyond merely encoding the two toxins. Plasmid p7v carries two copies ofstawith identical sequences, which were discovered to be divergent from thestasequences found in the prototype human ETEC strains. Using a nomenclature scheme based on a phylogeny constructed fromstaandstbsequences, thestaencoded on p7v is designated STa4.In silicoanalysis determined that p7v also encodes the K88 fimbria, a colonization factor usually associated with porcine ETEC plasmids. The p7v sequence and the presence of plasmid-encoded virulence factors are compared to those of other STEC/ETEC CL1 hybrid genomes and reveal gene acquisition/loss at the strain level. In addition, the interrogation of 24 STEC/ETEC hybrid genomes for identification of plasmid replicons, colonization factors, Stx and ST subtypes, and other plasmid-encoded virulence genes highlights the diversity of these hybrid strains.IMPORTANCEHybrid Shiga toxin-producingEscherichia coli/enterotoxigenicEscherichia coli(STEC/ETEC) strains, which have been isolated from environmental, animal, and human clinical samples, may represent an emerging threat as food-borne pathogens. Characterization of these strains is important for assessing virulence potential, aiding in the development of pathogen detection methods, and understanding how the hybrid strains evolve to potentially have a greater impact on public health. This study represents, to our knowledge, both the first characterization of a closed plasmid sequence from a STEC/ETEC hybrid strain and the most comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of available STEC/ETEC hybrid genomes to date. The results demonstrate how the mobility of plasmid-associated virulence genes has resulted in the creation of a diverse plasmid repertoire within the STEC/ETEC hybrid strains.

scholarly journals Pathogenic Potential, Genetic Diversity, and Population Structure of Escherichia coli Strains Isolated from a Forest-Dominated Watershed (Comox Lake) in British Columbia, Canada

2014 ◽  
Vol 81 (5) ◽  
pp. 1788-1798 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abhirosh Chandran ◽  
Asit Mazumder
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
Population Structure ◽  
Virulence Genes ◽  
Repetitive Element ◽  
Fingerprint Analysis ◽  
Pathogenic Potential ◽  
Content Type ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Heat Stable

ABSTRACTEscherichia coliisolates (n= 658) obtained from drinking water intakes of Comox Lake (2011 to 2013) were screened for the following virulence genes (VGs):stx1andstx2(Shiga toxin-producingE. coli[STEC]),eaeand the adherence factor (EAF) gene (enteropathogenicE. coli[EPEC]), heat-stable (ST) enterotoxin (variants STh and STp) and heat-labile enterotoxin (LT) genes (enterotoxigenicE. coli[ETEC]), andipaH(enteroinvasiveE. coli[EIEC]). The only genes detected wereeaeandstx2, which were carried by 37.69% (n= 248) of the isolates. Onlyeaewas harbored by 26.74% (n= 176) of the isolates, representing potential atypical EPEC strains, while onlystx2was detected in 10.33% (n= 68) of the isolates, indicating potential STEC strains. Moreover, four isolates were positive for both thestx2andeaegenes, representing potential EHEC strains. The prevalence of VGs (eaeorstx2) was significantly (P< 0.0001) higher in the fall season, and multiple genes (eaeplusstx2) were detected only in fall. Repetitive element palindromic PCR (rep-PCR) fingerprint analysis of 658E. coliisolates identified 335 unique fingerprints, with an overall Shannon diversity (H′) index of 3.653. Diversity varied among seasons over the years, with relatively higher diversity during fall. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) revealed that the majority of the fingerprints showed a tendency to cluster according to year, season, and month. Taken together, the results indicated that the diversity and population structure ofE. colifluctuate on a temporal scale, reflecting the presence of diverse host sources and their behavior over time in the watershed. Furthermore, the occurrence of potentially pathogenicE. colistrains in the drinking water intakes highlights the risk to human health associated with direct and indirect consumption of untreated surface water.

scholarly journals Molecular Characterization of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli Strains Isolated in Poland

2016 ◽  
Vol 65 (3) ◽  
pp. 261-269 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aleksandra Januszkiewicz ◽  
Waldemar Rastawicki
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Virulence Factors ◽  
Shiga Toxin ◽  
Virulence Gene ◽  
Virulence Determinants ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Heat Stable ◽  
Food Borne ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Uremic Syndrome

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains also called verotoxin-producing E. coli (VTEC) represent one of the most important groups of food-borne pathogens that can cause several human diseases such as hemorrhagic colitis (HC) and hemolytic – uremic syndrome (HUS) worldwide. The ability of STEC strains to cause disease is associated with the presence of wide range of identified and putative virulence factors including those encoding Shiga toxin. In this study, we examined the distribution of various virulence determinants among STEC strains isolated in Poland from different sources. A total of 71 Shiga toxin-producing E. coli strains isolated from human, cattle and food over the years 1996 – 2010 were characterized by microarray and PCR detection of virulence genes. As stx1a subtype was present in all of the tested Shiga toxin 1 producing E. coli strains, a greater diversity of subtypes was found in the gene stx2, which occurred in five subtypes: stx2a, stx2b, stx2c, stx2d, stx2g. Among STEC O157 strains we observed conserved core set of 14 virulence factors, stable in bacteria genome at long intervals of time. There was one cattle STEC isolate which possessed verotoxin gene as well as sta1 gene encoded heat-stable enterotoxin STIa characteristic for enterotoxigenic E. coli. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive analysis of virulence gene profiles identified in STEC strains isolated from human, cattle and food in Poland. The results obtained using microarrays technology confirmed high effectiveness of this method in determining STEC virulotypes which provides data suitable for molecular risk assessment of the potential virulence of this bacteria.

scholarly journals Temporal Trends in Antimicrobial Resistance and Virulence-Associated Traits within the Escherichia coli Sequence Type 131 Clonal Group and ItsH30 andH30-Rx Subclones, 1968 to 2012

2014 ◽  
Vol 58 (11) ◽  
pp. 6886-6895 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bente Olesen ◽  
Jakob Frimodt-Møller ◽  
Rikke Fleron Leihof ◽  
Carsten Struve ◽  
Brian Johnston ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Multidrug Resistance ◽  
Antimicrobial Resistance ◽  
Virulence Genes ◽  
Temporal Trends ◽  
Sequence Type ◽  
Esbl Production ◽  
Content Type ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Biofilm Production

ABSTRACTTo identify possible explanations for the recent global emergence ofEscherichia colisequence type (ST) 131 (ST131), we analyzed temporal trends within ST131 O25 for antimicrobial resistance, virulence genes, biofilm formation, and theH30 andH30-Rx subclones. For this, we surveyed the WHOE. coliandKlebsiellaCentre'sE. colicollection (1957 to 2011) for ST131 isolates, characterized them extensively, and assessed them for temporal trends. Overall, antimicrobial resistance increased temporally in prevalence and extent, due mainly to the recent appearance of theH30 (1997) andH30-Rx (2005) ST131 subclones. In contrast, neither the total virulence gene content nor the prevalence of biofilm production increased temporally, although non-H30 isolates increasingly qualified as extraintestinal pathogenicE. coli(ExPEC). Whereas virotype D occurred from 1968 forward, virotypes A and C occurred only after 2000 and 2002, respectively, in association with theH30andH30-Rx subclones, which were characterized by multidrug resistance (including extended-spectrum-beta-lactamase [ESBL] production:H30-Rx) and absence of biofilm production. Capsular antigen K100 occurred exclusively amongH30-Rx isolates (55% prevalence). Pulsotypes corresponded broadly with subclones and virotypes. Thus, ST131 should be regarded not as a unitary entity but as a group of distinctive subclones, with its increasing antimicrobial resistance having a strong clonal basis, i.e., the emergence of theH30 andH30-Rx ST131 subclones, rather than representing acquisition of resistance by diverse ST131 strains. Distinctive characteristics of theH30-Rx subclone—including specific virulence genes (iutA,afaanddra,kpsII), the K100 capsule, multidrug resistance, and ESBL production—possibly contributed to epidemiologic success, and some (e.g., K100) might serve as vaccine targets.

scholarly journals Serogroups and virulence genes of Escherichia coli isolated from psittacine birds

2011 ◽  
Vol 31 (10) ◽  
pp. 916-921 ◽  
Author(s):  
Terezinha Knöbl ◽  
André B.S Saidenberg ◽  
Andrea M Moreno ◽  
Tânia A.T Gomes ◽  
Mônica A.M Vieira ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Virulence Factors ◽  
Virulence Genes ◽  
Serum Resistance ◽  
Temperature Sensitive ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Cytotoxic Necrotizing Factor ◽  
Heat Stable ◽  
Genes Encoding ◽  
Cytotoxic Necrotizing Factor 1

Escherichia coli isolates from 24 sick psittacine birds were serogrouped and investigated for the presence of genes encoding the following virulence factors: attaching and effacing (eae), enteropathogenic E. coli EAF plasmid (EAF), pili associated with pyelonephritis (pap), S fimbriae (sfa), afimbrial adhesin (afa), capsule K1 (neu), curli (crl, csgA), temperature-sensitive hemagglutinin (tsh), enteroaggregative heat-stable enterotoxin-1 (astA), heat-stable enterotoxin -1 heat labile (LT) and heat stable (STa and STb) enterotoxins, Shiga-like toxins (stx1 and stx2), cytotoxic necrotizing factor 1 (cnf1), haemolysin (hly), aerobactin production (iuc) and serum resistance (iss). The results showed that the isolates belonged to 12 serogroups: O7; O15; O21; O23; O54; O64; O76; O84; O88; O128; O152 and O166. The virulence genes found were: crl in all isolates, pap in 10 isolates, iss in seven isolates, csgA in five isolates, iuc and tsh in three isolates and eae in two isolates. The combination of virulence genes revealed 11 different genotypic patterns. All strains were negative for genes encoding for EAF, EAEC, K1, sfa, afa, hly, cnf, LT, STa, STb, stx1 and stx2. Our findings showed that some E. coli isolated from psittacine birds present the same virulence factors as avian pathogenic E. coli (APEC), uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) and Enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) pathotypes.

scholarly journals Prevalence of Hemolysin Genes and Comparison ofehxASubtype Patterns in Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli (STEC) and Non-STEC Strains from Clinical, Food, and Animal Sources

2013 ◽  
Vol 79 (20) ◽  
pp. 6301-6311 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra C. Lorenz ◽  
Insook Son ◽  
Anna Maounounen-Laasri ◽  
Andrew Lin ◽  
Markus Fischer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Virulence Factors ◽  
Shiga Toxin ◽  
Phenotypic Expression ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Polymorphism Analysis ◽  
Subtype C ◽  
Content Type ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Subtype A

ABSTRACTShiga toxin-producingEscherichia coli(STEC) belonging to certain serogroups (e.g., O157 and O26) can cause serious conditions like hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS), but other strains might be equally pathogenic. While virulence factors, likestxandeae, have been well studied, little is known about the prevalence of theE. colihemolysin genes (hlyA,ehxA,e-hlyA, andsheA) in association with these factors. Hemolysins are potential virulence factors, andehxAandhlyAhave been associated with human illness, but the significance ofsheAis unknown. Hence, 435E. colistrains belonging to 62 different O serogroups were characterized to investigate gene presence and phenotypic expression of hemolysis. We further investigatedehxAsubtype patterns inE. coliisolates from clinical, animal, and food sources. WhilesheAandehxAwere widely distributed,e-hlyAandhlyAwere rarely found. Most strains (86.7%) were hemolytic, and significantly more hemolytic (95%) than nonhemolytic strains (49%) carriedstxand/oreae(P< 0.0001).ehxAsubtyping, as performed by using PCR in combination with restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis, resulted in six closely related subtypes (>94.2%), with subtypes A/D beingeae-negative STECs and subtypes B, C, E, and Feaepositive. Unexpectedly,ehxAsubtype patterns differed significantly between isolates collected from different sources (P< 0.0001), suggesting that simple linear models of exposure and transmission need modification; animal isolates carried mostly subtypes A/C (39.3%/42.9%), food isolates carried mainly subtype A (81.9%), and clinical isolates carried mainly subtype C (66.4%). Certain O serogroups correlated with particularehxAsubtypes: subtype A with O104, O113, and O8; B exclusively with O157; C with O26, O111, and O121.

scholarly journals Virulence genes and phylogenetic groups of uropathogenic Escherichia coli isolates from patients with urinary tract infection and uninfected control subjects: a case-control study

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Seyedeh Elham Rezatofighi ◽  
Mahsa Mirzarazi ◽  
Mansour Salehi
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Urinary Tract Infection ◽  
Urinary Tract ◽  
Tract Infection ◽  
Virulence Factors ◽  
Virulence Genes ◽  
Strong Association ◽  
Phylogenetic Groups ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Healthy Humans

Abstract Background Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) is one of the most common bacterial infectious diseases which causes considerable morbidity and costly health problems. Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC), the most common pathogen causing UTI, is a highly heterogeneous group of extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC) which may carry a variety of virulence factors and belonging to different phylogenetic backgrounds. The current study aimed to investigate the frequency and association between various virulence factors (VFs) and phylogenetic groups of UPEC and commensal isolates. Methods UPEC and commensal E. coli strains isolated from UTI and feces of healthy humans were compared for the presence of VFs and phylogenetic groups. Association between virulence genes was investigated and cluster analysis was employed. Results According to the results, among a 30 virulence markers tested, the pathogenicity-associated island (PAI), papAH, papEF, fimH, fyuA, and traT genes prevalence were statistically significant in UPEC isolates. A strong association was found between the B2 and D phylogenetic groups and clinical isolates of UPEC; while, commensal isolates were mostly associated with phylogenetic group A. The aggregated VFs scores were more than twice higher in the UPEC isolates in comparison with the commensal isolates. Interestingly, the B2 group in both UPEC and commensal isolates had the highest VF scores. A strong positive association was found between several virulence genes. The clustering results demonstrated that UPEC or commensal E. coli isolates were highly heterogeneous due to different composition of their virulence gene pool and pathogenicity islands. Conclusion Genetic structure and VFs of UPEC strains vary from region to region; therefore, to control the UTI, the epidemiological aspects and characterization of the UPEC isolates need to be investigated in different regions. Since UPEC isolates are generally originate from the commensal strains, it may be feasible to reduce the UTI burden by interfering the intestinal colonization, particularly in the highly pathogenic clonal lineages such as B2.

scholarly journals Antimicrobial resistance among canine enteric Escherichia coli isolates and prevalence of attaching–effacing and extraintestinal pathogenic virulence factors in Spain

2020 ◽  
Vol 68 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eloisa Sevilla ◽  
Raúl C. Mainar-Jaime ◽  
Bernardino Moreno ◽  
Inmaculada Martín-Burriel ◽  
Mariano Morales ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Multidrug Resistance ◽  
Antimicrobial Resistance ◽  
Virulence Factors ◽  
Shiga Toxin ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Extended Spectrum ◽  
Specific Virulence

AbstractThe aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Escherichia coli from a dog population in Spain and assess specific virulence factors. Susceptibility to 22 antimicrobials was tested along with the production of extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) and AmpC in faecal isolates from 100 dogs. Virulence-related genes associated with attaching and effacing E. coli (eae, Stx1, Stx2) and extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli – ExPEC – (papC, hlyA and cnf1) were detected by PCR. At least one kind of AMR was observed in 73% of the isolates. The highest prevalences corresponded to penicillin (45%), aminoglycoside (40%) and non-extended spectrum cephalosporin (39%) classes. Multidrug resistance (MDR) was observed in 53.4% of the resistant isolates. No resistance to colistin was found. Production of ESBL/AmpC enzymes was detected in 5% of E. coli. Shiga toxin-producing E. coli were not observed, enteropathogenic E. coli were identified in only 12% of them, and ExPEC were found in 25%. Dog faeces can be a source of E. coli strains potentially presenting a threat to humans through their virulence factors or AMR. The non-hygienic keeping of animals may increase the risk of colonisation of such pathogens in humans.

scholarly journals Carbapenem Resistance Profiles of Pathogenic Escherichia coli in Uganda

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 63-73
Author(s):  
Kenneth Ssekatawa ◽  
Denis K. Byarugaba ◽  
Jesca L. Nakavuma ◽  
Charles D. Kato ◽  
Francis Ejobi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Virulence Factors ◽  
Virulence Genes ◽  
Carbapenem Resistance ◽  
Phylogenetic Group ◽  
Clinical Isolates ◽  
Phylogenetic Groups ◽  
Phenotypic Resistance ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Tract Infections

Escherichia coli has been implicated as one of the main etiological agents of diarrhea, urinary tract infections, meningitis and septicemia worldwide. The ability to cause diseases is potentiated by presence of virulence factors. The virulence factors influence the capacity of E. coli to infect and colonize different body systems. Thus, pathogenic E. coli are grouped into DEC strains that are mainly clustered in phylogenetic group B1 and A; ExPEC belonging to A, B2 and D. Coexistence of virulence and beta-lactamase encoding genes complicates treatment outcomes. Therefore, this study aimed at presenting the carbapenem resistance (CR) profiles among pathogenic E. coli. This was a retrospective cross-sectional study involving use of 421 archived E. coli clinical isolates collected in 2019 from four Uganda tertiary hospitals. The isolates were subjected to antibiotics sensitivity assays to determine phenotypic resistance. Four sets of multiplex PCR were performed to detect CR genes, DEC pathotypes virulence genes, ExPEC PAI and the E. coli phylogenetic groups. Antibiotic susceptibility revealed that all the 421 E. coli isolates used were MDR as they exhibited 100% resistance to more than one of the first-line antibiotics. The study registered phenotypic and genotypic CR prevalence of 22.8% and 33.0% respectively. The most predominant gene was blaOXA-48 with genotypic frequency of 33.0%, then blaVIM (21.0%), blaIMP (16.5%), blaKPC (14.8%) and blaNDM (14.8%). Spearman’s correlation revealed that presence of CR genes was highly associated with phenotypic resistance. Furthermore, of 421 MDR E. coli isolates, 19.7% harboured DEC virulence genes, where EPEC recorded significantly higher prevalence (10.8%) followed by S-ETEC (3.1%), STEC (2.9%), EIEC (2.0%) and L-ETEC (2.0%). Genetic analysis characterized 46.1% of the isolates as ExPEC and only PAI IV536 (33.0%) and PAI IICFT073 (13.1%) were detected. Phylogenetic group B2 was predominantly detected (41.1%), followed by A (30.2%), B1(21.6%), and D (7.1%). Furthermore, 38.6% and 23.1% of the DEC and ExPEC respectively expressed phenotypic resistance. Our results exhibited significant level of CR carriage among the MDR DEC and ExPEC clinical isolates belonging to phylogenetic groups B1 and B2 respectively. Virulence and CR genetic factors are mainly located on mobile elements. Thus, constitutes a great threat to the healthcare system as this promotes horizontal gene transfer.

scholarly journals Occurrence of Intestinal and Extraintestinal Virulence Genes in Escherichia coli Isolates from Rainwater Tanks in Southeast Queensland, Australia

2011 ◽  
Vol 77 (20) ◽  
pp. 7394-7400 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Ahmed ◽  
L. Hodgers ◽  
N. Masters ◽  
J. P. S. Sidhu ◽  
M. Katouli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Virulence Genes ◽  
Phylogenetic Groups ◽  
Content Type ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Rainwater Tank ◽  
Clinically Significant ◽  
Treatment Procedures ◽  
Southeast Queensland ◽  
Rainwater Tanks

ABSTRACTIn this study, 200Escherichia coliisolates from 22 rainwater tank samples in Southeast Queensland, Australia, were tested for the presence of 20 virulence genes (VGs) associated with intestinal and extraintestinal pathotypes. In addition,E. coliisolates were also classified into phylogenetic groups based on the detection of thechuA,yjaA, and TSPE4.C2 genes. Of the 22 rainwater tanks, 8 (36%) and 5 (23%) were positive for theeaeA(belonging to enteropathogenicE. coli[EPEC] and Shiga-toxigenicE. coli[STEC]) and ST1 (belonging to enterotoxigenicE. coli[ETEC]) genes, respectively. VGs (cdtB,cvaC,ibeA,kpsMTallele III, PAI,papAH, andtraT) belonging to extraintestinal pathogenicE. coli(ExPEC) were detected in 15 (68%) of the 22 rainwater tanks. Of the 22 samples, 17 (77%) and 11 (50%) containedE. colibelonging to phylogenetic groups A and B1, respectively. Similarly, 10 (45%) and 16 (72%) containedE. colibelonging to phylogenetic groups B2 and D, respectively. Of the 96 of the 200 strains from 22 tanks that were VG positive, 40 (42%) were carrying a single VG, 36 (37.5%) were carrying two VGs, 17 (18%) were carrying three VGs, and 3 (3%) had four or more VGs. This study reports the presence of multiple VGs inE. colistrains belonging to the STEC, EPEC, ETEC, and ExPEC pathotypes in rainwater tanks. The public health risks associated with potentially clinically significantE. coliin rainwater tanks should be assessed, as the water is used for drinking and other, nonpotable purposes. It is recommended that rainwater be disinfected using effective treatment procedures such as filtration, UV disinfection, or simply boiling prior to drinking.

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