Serotypes, intimin subtypes, and antimicrobial resistance patterns of atypical enteropathogenic Escherichia coli isolated in England from 1993 to 1996

• Published in: European journal of clinical microbiology & infectious diseases Vol. 25; no. 1; pp. 19 - 24
• Main Authors: JENKINS, C, SMITH, H. R, LAWSON, A. J, WILLSHAW, G. A, CHEASTY, T, WHEELER, J. G, TOMPKINS, D. S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin Springer 2006; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adhesins, Bacterial - classification; Adolescent; Adult; Age; Age Distribution; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Antimicrobial agents; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child, Preschool; Children; Data processing; Drug resistance; Drug Resistance, Bacterial; E coli; England; Epidemiology; Escherichia coli; Escherichia coli - classification; Escherichia coli - drug effects; Escherichia coli - isolation & purification; Escherichia coli Infections - classification; Escherichia coli Infections - microbiology; Escherichia coli Proteins - classification; Gastrointestinal tract diseases; Humans; Infant; Infectious diseases; Intestinal Diseases - microbiology; Intestine; Intimin; Medical sciences; Microbial Sensitivity Tests - methods; Middle Aged; Pathogens; Serotypes; Serotyping; Serotyping - methods; Travel; Typing; Virulence; England; United Kingdom; Great Britain; Europe; Infection; Microbiological investigation; Typing; Microbiology; Drug susceptibility test; Escherichia coli; Bacteria; Atypical; Serotype; Subtype; Enterobacteriaceae
• ISSN: 0934-9723; 1435-4373
• DOI: 10.1007/s10096-005-0075-x

The aim of this study was to characterise the atypical enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) strains isolated during a study of intestinal infectious disease in the UK by serotyping, intimin subtyping, and antimicrobial resistance typing. Serotypes, intimin subtypes, and resistance patterns of strains from cases were then compared with those from the control group. A wide range of serotypes, intimin subtypes, and antimicrobial resistance patterns was identified in isolates from both cases and controls, with O70:H11 and O111:H- being the most frequently detected serotypes. The most common intimin types were gamma and gamma(2). Thirty-six percent of the EPEC isolates were resistant to at least one antimicrobial agent. No significant differences in the characteristics of EPEC strains isolated from patients with symptoms of gastrointestinal disease versus those isolated from healthy controls were detected, although strains harbouring the beta-intimin subtype were more commonly isolated from children under 5 years of age (p=0.002). The compilation of data on atypical EPEC strains presented here indicates the need for further study of their virulence and epidemiology in order to assess their significance as human pathogens.