Discriminant analysis of extended urovirulence genotypes distinguishes human, canine, and feline urinary Escherichia coli isolates from New Zealand

Abstract

Numerous genes of E. coli encode proteins putatively important to urovirulence,for example, adhesins and protectins. Human, canine, and feline urinary E. coli isolates have been characterized on the basis of their extended urovirulence genotypes in studies that typically test for the presence or absence of about 25 of these genes. It has been reported recently that extended urovirulence genotypes of canine and feline urinary E. coli isolates overlap with, and are essentially indistinguishable from, those of human strains that cause serious extraintestinal infections. On the basis of these and other phylogenetic findings, concern has been expressed that some canine and feline uropathogenic E. coli strains pose a significant human health hazard. However, very few canine isolates and even fewer feline isolates have been adequately studied to date.