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Is Escherichia coli urinary tract infection a zoonosis? Proof of direct link with production animals and meat

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Abstract

Recently, it has been suggested that the Escherichia coli causing urinary tract infection (UTI) may come from meat and animals. The purpose was to investigate if a clonal link existed between E. coli from animals, meat and UTI patients. Twenty-two geographically and temporally matched B2 E. coli from UTI patients, community-dwelling humans, broiler chicken meat, pork, and broiler chicken, previously identified to exhibit eight virulence genotypes by microarray-detection of approximately 300 genes, were investigated for clonal relatedness by PFGE. Nine isolates were selected and tested for in vivo virulence in the mouse model of ascending UTI. UTI and community-dwelling human strains were closely clonally related to meat strains. Several human derived strains were also clonally interrelated. All nine isolates regardless of origin were virulent in the UTI model with positive urine, bladder and kidney cultures. Further, isolates with the same gene profile also yielded similar bacterial counts in urine, bladder and kidneys. This study showed a clonal link between E. coli from meat and humans, providing solid evidence that UTI is zoonosis. The close relationship between community-dwelling human and UTI isolates may indicate a point source spread, e.g. through contaminated meat.

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Acknowledgments

Frank Hansen, Karin S. Pedersen, Frederikke R. Petersen, Leila Borggild, Jytte M. Andersen, and Dorte Truelsen are thanked for excellent technical assistance. This study was supported by The Danish Research Council (grant no. 2101-05-001). This work is part of the Danish Integrated Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring and Research Programme (DANMAP) and the Marie Curie program Training Risk-Assessment In Non-human Antibiotic Usage (TRAINAU).

Declaration of interest

All authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiological Surveillance and Research, Statens Serum Institut, Build. 47/213, Ørestads Boulevard 5, 2300, Copenhagen S, Denmark

    L. Jakobsen, S. S. Olsen, A. M. Hammerum & N. Frimodt-Møller

  2. National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark

    L. J. Porsbo

  3. Groupe de Recherche sur les Maladies Infectieuses du Porcine, Faculté de médecine vétérinaire, Université du Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada

    P. Garneau & J. Harel

  4. Biotechnology Research Institute, National Research Council of Canada, Montreal, QC, Canada

    G. Bruant

  5. Department of Clinical Microbiology, Hvidovre Hospital, 30 Kettegård alle, DK-2650, Copenhagen, Hvidovre, Denmark

    N. Frimodt-Møller

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  1. L. Jakobsen
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  2. P. Garneau
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  3. G. Bruant
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  4. J. Harel
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  5. S. S. Olsen
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  6. L. J. Porsbo
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  7. A. M. Hammerum
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  8. N. Frimodt-Møller
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Correspondence to L. Jakobsen.

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Jakobsen, L., Garneau, P., Bruant, G. et al. Is Escherichia coli urinary tract infection a zoonosis? Proof of direct link with production animals and meat. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 31, 1121–1129 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-011-1417-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-011-1417-5

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