Emerg Infect Dis. 2021 Mar;27(3):853-861. doi: 10.3201/eid2703.203110.
Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O80:H2 has emerged in Europe as a cause of hemolytic uremic syndrome associated with bacteremia. STEC O80:H2 harbors the mosaic plasmid pR444_A, which combines several virulence genes, including hlyF and antimicrobial resistance genes. pR444_A is found in some extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC) strains. We identified and characterized 53 STEC strains with ExPEC-associated virulence genes isolated in Italy and the Netherlands during 2000-2019. The isolates belong to 2 major populations: 1 belongs to sequence type 301 and harbors diverse stx subtypes, the intimin variant eae-ξ, and pO157-like and pR444_A plasmids; 1 consists of strains belonging to various sequence types, some of which lack the pO157 plasmid, the locus of enterocyte effacement, and the antimicrobial resistance-encoding region. Our results showed that STEC strains harboring ExPEC-associated virulence genes can include multiple serotypes and that the pR444_A plasmid can be acquired and mobilized by STEC strains.
产志贺毒素大肠杆菌（STEC）O80:H2 已在欧洲出现，成为与菌血症相关的溶血性尿毒症综合征的病因。STEC O80:H2 携带镶嵌质粒 pR444_A，其中包含多种毒力基因，包括 hlyF 和抗微生物药物耐药基因。pR444_A 存在于一些肠外致病性大肠杆菌（ExPEC）菌株中。我们鉴定和分析了 53 株分离自 2000-2019 年意大利和荷兰的具有 ExPEC 相关毒力基因的 STEC 菌株。这些分离株属于 2 个主要种群：1 个种群属于序列型 301，携带多种 stx 亚型、变异 intimin eae-ξ、pO157 样和 pR444_A 质粒；1 个种群由属于不同序列型的菌株组成，其中一些菌株缺乏 pO157 质粒、肠上皮细胞消失基因座和抗微生物药物耐药基因编码区。我们的结果表明，携带 ExPEC 相关毒力基因的 STEC 菌株可以包含多种血清型，并且 pR444_A 质粒可以被 STEC 菌株获得和转移。
