Recent Genetic Changes Affecting Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli Causing Recurrent Outbreaks.

ABSTRACT: Enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) is responsible for significant human illness, death, and economic loss. The main reservoir for EHEC is cattle, but plant-based foods are common vectors for human infection. Several outbreaks have been attributed to lettuce and leafy green vegetables grown in the Salinas and Santa Maria regions of California. Bacteria causing different outbreaks are mostly not close relatives, but one group of closely-related O157:H7 has caused several of them. This unusual pattern of recurrence may have some genetic basis. Here I use whole-genome sequences to reconstruct the genetic changes that occurred in the recent ancestry of this EHEC. In a short period of time corresponding to little genetic change, there were several changes to adhesion-related sequences, mainly adhe

SUBMITTER: Cherry JL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9241674 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature