Genomic portrait of the evolution and epidemic spread of a recently emerged multidrug-resistant Shigella flexneri clone in China.

ABSTRACT: Shigella flexneri is the major cause of shigellosis in developing countries. A new S. flexneri serotype, Xv, appeared in 2000 and replaced serotype 2a as the most prevalent serotype in China. Serotype Xv is a variant of serotype X, with phosphoethanolamine modification of its O antigen mediated by a plasmid that contained the opt gene. Serotype Xv isolates belong to sequence type 91 (ST91). In this study, whole-genome sequencing of 59 S. flexneri isolates of 14 serotypes (serotypes 1 to 4, Y, Yv, X, and Xv) indicated that ST91 arose around 1993 by acquiring multidrug resistance (MDR) and spread across China within a decade. A comparative analysis of the chromosome and opt-carrying plasmid pSFXv_2 revealed independent origins of 3 serotype Xv clusters in China, with different divergence tim

SUBMITTER: Zhang N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3993495 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature