Sequence Type 131 E. coli: A Colossal One Health Issue

Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) cause 80% of uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTI) globally. Since the mid-2000s a subset of UPEC called sequence type (ST) 131 have undergone rapid pandemic spread and are linked to the increase in global rates of fluoroquinolone and expanded-spectrum cephalosporin resistance with the dissemination of the extended spectrum β-lactamase, CTX-M-15. ST131 are a major cause of UTIs that lead to serious complications in humans like pyelonephritis and urosepsis. Other than humans, ST131 have been isolated from food animals, and companion animals as well as environmental sources. Tracking of antimicrobial resistant infections in animals has been limited. However, the few studies evaluating E. coli infections in companion animals identify that although they are frequent, these infections rarely cause severe symptoms or complications. Recent phylogenetic analyses have shown that ST131 infections in companion animals represent spread from human hosts and not a primary animal infection. This presentation will introduce the topic of ST131 E. coli, what is known and what still needs to be determined regarding this pandemic clone.

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