title: [Molecular-genetic characterization of shiga-toxin producing Escherichia coli isolated during a food-borne outbreak in St. Petersburg in 2013].
abstract: Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) food-borne infections are reported worldwide and represent a serious problem for public healthcare. In the Russian Federation there is little information on epidemiology and etiology of STEC-infections as well as on molecular-genetic peculiarities of STEC pathogens.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Our aim was to describe a food-borne outbreak as hemorrhagic colitis (HC) along with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), enterocolitis, and acute gastroenteritis in children in St. Petersburg in 2013.
  
  
  METHODS
  Epidemiological, microbiological, molecular-genetic and bioinformatic methods were applied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Objects to study were clinical specimens, milk and food samples, as well as STEC strains isolated during the outbreak. The outbreak of food-borne infection was found to be caused by STEC-contaminated raw milk as confirmed by epidemiological analysis, detection of STEC DNA and isolation of relevant pathogens in milk and sick children fecal specimens. The whole-genome sequencing revealed two groups ofpathogens, E. coli O157:H7 and E. coli O101:H33 among collected strains. Group I strains were attributed to the previously known sequence type ST24, while group II strains belonged to the previously non-described sequence type ST145. In strain genomes of both groups there were identified nucleotide sequences of VT2-like prophage carrying stx2c gene, plasmid enterohemolysin gene, and gene of the STEC main adhesion factor intimin. Gene of intimin gamma was identified in E. coli O157:H7 strains and intimin iota 2 in E. coli O101:H33 strains. The latter previously was identified only in enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) strains.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The additional knowledge of epidemiology and biology of STEC pathogens would assist clinicians and epidemiologists in diagnosing, treating and preventing hemorrhagic colitis.
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authors.lastname: Polosenko
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authors.lastname: Grigor'eva
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authors.lastname: Zabalueva
authors.forename: T B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Kutasova
authors.forename: Yu N
authors.initials: YN
authors.lastname: Korzhaev
authors.forename: N S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Bashketova
authors.forename: O N
authors.initials: ON
authors.lastname: Bushmanova
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authors.lastname: Stalevskaya
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authors.lastname: Zhebrun
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003092:Colitis / Q000209:etiology*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004197:Disease Reservoirs; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D005517:Foodborne Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D055106:Genome-Wide Association Study; D006463:Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008892:Milk / Q000382:microbiology*; D012426:Russia / Q000453:epidemiology; D054323:Shiga-Toxigenic Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification