Isolation and genetic characterization of a coinfection of non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli.
A coinfection of O177:NM and O55:H7 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) was identified for a child with acute bloody diarrhea and hemolytic uremic syndrome by using culture and serotype-specific molecular reagents. The profile of O157-related genetic islands revealed that the O55:H7 isolate was highly similar to O157 STEC whereas the O177:NM isolate lacked several fimbrial O islands and non-locus-of-enterocyte-effacement effector determinants. However, both STEC serotypes are known to cause serious disease, and the significant repertoire of virulence determinants in both strains made it impossible to determine their individual contributions to the clinical symptoms.
Gilmour
Matthew W
MW
National Microbiology Laboratory, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
Tabor
Helen
H
Wang
Gehua
G
Clark
Clifford G
CG
Tracz
Dobryan M
DM
Olson
Adam B
AB
Mascarenhas
Mariola
M
Karmali
Mohamed A
MA
Mailman
Tim
T
Ng
Lai-King
LK
D001483:Base Sequence; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006463:Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012703:Serotyping; D054323:Shiga-Toxigenic Escherichia coli / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*