Studied 74 E. coli strains isolated from stool samples (60) and urine samples (14) of patients examined for clinical indications. Molecular methods included: PCR with electrophoretic detection of genes associated with diarrheal E. coli pathogroup EAgEC (aggR, aaf, aap, aatA, pet, ast, aai) and ExPEC pathogroup UPEC (pap, sfa, afa, kpsMT II, iutA, hlyA, cnf), MLST typing, whole genome sequencing. Strains isolated from stool samples were significantly more likely (88.3%, p > 0.05) to be typical EAgECaggR+ compared to atypical EAgECaggR-. Strains isolated from urine samples, significant differences between typical and atypical EAgEC were not detected (p > 0.05). Genes associated with ExPEC were present in all strains isolated from urine samples and in 45 strains (75%) isolated from stool samples. Coproisolates belonged to 10 serogroups and 13 serovars: O3:H2, O11:H10, O16:H48, O51:H30, O55:H21, O73:H18, O73:H33, O86:H2, O86:H10, O92:H33, O140:H2, O159:H10. Two strains had unique nucleotide sequences of genes encoding O-antigens that were missing from the SerotypeFinder database. 80% of EAgEC isolated from feces and urine was characterized by an enteroaggregative/uropathogenic genotype (EAgEC/UPEC). Most of the strains isolated from urine belonged to the virulent clone of high-risk epidemic spread ST 38 associated with hybrid strains of UPEC / EAgEC.
Keywords: E. coli; EAgEC; UPEC; heteropathogenicity; virulence genes.