Multilocus genotype analysis of Escherichia coli O157 isolates from Australia and the United States provides evidence of geographic divergence.

ABSTRACT: Escherichia coli O157 is a food-borne pathogen whose major reservoir has been identified as cattle. Recent genetic information has indicated that populations of E. coli O157 from cattle and humans can differ genetically and that this variation may have an impact on their ability to cause severe human disease. In addition, there is emerging evidence that E. coli O157 strains from different geographical regions may also be genetically divergent. To investigate the extent of this variation, we used Shiga toxin bacteriophage insertion sites (SBI), lineage-specific polymorphisms (LSPA-6), multilocus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis (MLVA), and a tir 255T>A polymorphism to examine 606 isolates representing both Australian and U.S. cattle and human populations. Both uni- and multivariate an

SUBMITTER: Mellor GE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3754714 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature