title: Extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) of human and avian origin belonging to sequence type complex 95 (STC95) portray indistinguishable virulence features.
abstract: Extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) strains of certain genetic lineages are frequently implicated in a wide range of diseases in humans and birds. ExPEC strains belonging to the phylogenetic lineage/sequence type complex 95 (STC95) are one such prominent lineage that is commonly isolated from extraintestinal infections such as systemic disease in poultry and urinary tract infections (UTIs), neonatal meningitis and sepsis in humans. Several epidemiological studies have indicated that ST95 strains obtained from such infections may share similar virulence genes and other genomic features. However, data on their ability to establish infections in vivo as deduced from the manifestation of similar virulence phenotypes remain elusive. In the present study, 116 STC95 ExPEC isolates comprising 55 human and 61 avian strains, possessing similar virulence gene patterns, were characterized in vitro using adhesion, invasion, biofilm formation and serum bactericidal assays. Overall, STC95 strains from both groups, namely human and birds, were equally capable of adhering to and invading the two mammalian kidney cell lines. Similarly, these strains were able to form strong biofilms in M63 medium. Furthermore, they were equally resistant to the bactericidal activity of human and avian serum. Our cumulative data reinforce the understanding that ST95 strains from poultry present a potential zoonotic risk and therefore need a One Health strategy for a successfull intervention.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Infection Medicine, Institute of Microbiology and Epizootics, Freie Universität Berlin, Robert-von-Ostertag-Str. 7-13, 14163 Berlin, Germany; Pathogen Biology Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, University of Hyderabad, Gachibowli, Hyderabad 500046, India. Electronic address: contact.nandanwar@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Nishant
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nandanwar
authors.affiliation: Centre for Infection Medicine, Institute of Microbiology and Epizootics, Freie Universität Berlin, Robert-von-Ostertag-Str. 7-13, 14163 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Traute
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Janssen
authors.affiliation: Centre for Infection Medicine, Institute of Microbiology and Epizootics, Freie Universität Berlin, Robert-von-Ostertag-Str. 7-13, 14163 Berlin, Germany; Institute of Hygiene and Animal Infectious Diseases, Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, Frankfurter Str. 89-91, 35392 Gießen, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kühl
authors.affiliation: Pathogen Biology Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, University of Hyderabad, Gachibowli, Hyderabad 500046, India; Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Niyaz
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.affiliation: Centre for Infection Medicine, Institute of Microbiology and Epizootics, Freie Universität Berlin, Robert-von-Ostertag-Str. 7-13, 14163 Berlin, Germany; Institute of Hygiene and Animal Infectious Diseases, Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, Frankfurter Str. 89-91, 35392 Gießen, Germany.
authors.forename: Christa
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ewers
authors.affiliation: Centre for Infection Medicine, Institute of Microbiology and Epizootics, Freie Universität Berlin, Robert-von-Ostertag-Str. 7-13, 14163 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Lothar H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Wieler
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D018441:Biofilms / Q000254:growth & development; D001717:Birds; D001770:Blood Bactericidal Activity; D002460:Cell Line; D004285:Dogs; D004705:Endocytosis; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000382:microbiology; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000662:veterinary*; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D037521:Virulence Factors
keywords: Avian; Extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli; Human; One Health; STC95