TY - JOUR AU - Grande, Laura AU - Michelacci, Valeria AU - Bondì, Roslen AU - Gigliucci, Federica AU - Franz, Eelco AU - Badouei, Mahdi Askari AU - Schlager, Sabine AU - Minelli, Fabio AU - Tozzoli, Rosangela AU - Caprioli, Alfredo AU - Morabito, Stefano T1 - Whole-Genome Characterization and Strain Comparison of VT2f-Producing Escherichia coli Causing Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome T2 - Emerging Infectious Disease journal PY - 2016 VL - 22 IS - 12 SP - 2078 SN - 1080-6059 AB - Verotoxigenic Escherichia coli infections in humans cause disease ranging from uncomplicated intestinal illnesses to bloody diarrhea and systemic sequelae, such as hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Previous research indicated that pigeons may be a reservoir for a population of verotoxigenic E. coli producing the VT2f variant. We used whole-genome sequencing to characterize a set of VT2f-producing E. coli strains from human patients with diarrhea or HUS and from healthy pigeons. We describe a phage conveying the vtx2f genes and provide evidence that the strains causing milder diarrheal disease may be transmitted to humans from pigeons. The strains causing HUS could derive from VT2f phage acquisition by E. coli strains with a virulence genes asset resembling that of typical HUS-associated verotoxigenic E. coli. KW - VT2f-producing KW - variant verotoxigenic Escherichia coli KW - virulence KW - evolution KW - enteric infections KW - bacteria KW - zoonoses KW - VTEC KW - Escherichia coli KW - whole-genome characterization KW - hemolytic uremic syndrome KW - HUS DO - 10.3201/eid2212.160017 UR - https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/22/12/16-0017_article ER - End of Reference