Pathogenic Potential to Humans of Bovine Escherichia coli O26, Scotland

Chase-Topping, M.E. et al. (2012) Pathogenic Potential to Humans of Bovine Escherichia coli O26, Scotland. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 18(3), pp. 439-448. (doi: 10.3201/eid1803.111236)

Abstract

Escherichia coli O26 and O157 have similar overall prevalences in cattle in Scotland, but in humans, Shiga toxin–producing E. coli O26 infections are fewer and clinically less severe than E. coli O157 infections. To investigate this discrepancy, we genotyped E. coli O26 isolates from cattle and humans in Scotland and continental Europe. The genetic background of some strains from Scotland was closely related to that of strains causing severe infections in Europe. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling found an association between hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) and multilocus sequence type 21 strains and confirmed the role of stx₂ in severe human disease. Although the prevalences of E. coli O26 and O157 on cattle farms in Scotland are equivalent, prevalence of more virulent strains is low, reducing human infection risk. However, new data on E. coli O26–associated HUS in humans highlight the need for surveillance of non-O157 enterohemorrhagic E. coli and for understanding stx₂ phage acquisition.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Matthews, Professor Louise
• Authors: Chase-Topping, M.E., Rosser, T., Allison, L.J., Courcier, E., Evans, J., McKendrick, I.J., Pearce, M.C., Handel, I., Caprioli, A., Karch, H., Hanson, M.F., Pollock, K.J., Locking, M.E., Woolhouse, M.E.J., Matthews, L., Low, J.C., and Gally, D.L.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine
• Journal Name: Emerging Infectious Diseases
• Publisher: U.S. National Center for Infectious Diseases
• ISSN: 1080-6040
• ISSN (Online): 1080-6059
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2012 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• First Published: First published in Emerging Infectious Diseases 2012 18(3):439-448
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher