Identification and Genomic Characterization of Escherichia albertii in Migratory Birds from Poyang Lake, China

Abstract

Escherichia albertii is an emerging zoonotic foodborne enteropathogen leading to human gastroenteritis outbreaks. Although E. albertii has been isolated from birds which have been considered as the potential reservoirs of this bacterium, its prevalence in migratory birds has rarely been described. In this study, E. albertii in migratory birds from Poyang Lake was investigated and characterized using whole genome sequencing. Eighty-one fecal samples from nine species of migratory birds were collected and 24/81 (29.6%) tested PCR-positive for E. albertii-specific genes. A total of 47 isolates was recovered from 18 out of 24 PCR-positive samples. All isolates carried eae and cdtB genes. These isolates were classified into eight E. albertii O-genotypes (EAOgs) (including three novel EAOgs) and three E. albertii H-genotypes (EAHgs). Whole genome phylogeny separated migratory bird-derived isolates into different lineages, some isolates in this study were phylogenetically closely grouped with poultry-derived or patient-derived strains. Our findings showed that migratory birds may serve as an important reservoir for heterogeneous E. albertii, thereby acting as potential transmission vehicles of E. albertii to humans.

Escherichia albertii isolated from the bloodstream of a patient with liver cirrhosis in China: A case report

“…In previous surveillance, E. albertii was typically found in poultry feces/intestinal contents and poultry meat, wild birds, and raccoons [ 7 , 12 , 18 , 19 ]. People might be infected through contact with these animals or by consuming contaminated water, vegetables, and meat [ 20 ].…”

“…Later, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF/MS, Bruker Daltonics, Germany) was performed in clinical laboratory, which displayed presumptive identification of E. albertii (score 2.44). Subsequently, the isolate was transferred to Zigong Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and was confirmed as E. albertii by the diagnostic triplex-PCR targeting clpX , lysP , and mdh genes, as previously described [ 12 ]. Then, the antimicrobial susceptibility was evaluated using VITEK2 Compact (bioMérieux, Lyon, France) and strain ESA303 was sensitive to all antibiotics, including ampicillin, amikacin, aztreonam, ciprofloxacin, cefotetan, ertapenem, cefepime, gentamicin, levofloxacin, cotrimoxazole, tobramycin, piperacillin/tazobactam, ampicillin/sulbactam, ceftriaxone, imipenem, ceftazidime, amoxicillin/clavulanate, cefuroxime, cefzolin, meropenem, and cefoperazone/sulbactam.…”

Genetic Diversity and Expression of Intimin in Escherichia albertii Isolated from Humans, Animals, and Food

“…A total of 205 whole genome sequenced E. albertii strains from China were used in this study, including 201 strains previously reported [6,12], one newly sequenced strain ESA302 in this study, and three collected from the NCBI database (https://www.ncbi.nlm. nih.gov/datasets/, accessed on 9 October 2022).…”

“…In 2004, large-scale mortality of finch species (Carduelis flammea) occurred in Alaska, and E. albertii was identified as the probable etiology [10]. In recent years, E. albertii strains have been identified widely in avian, mammal species, raw meats, and humans [11][12][13][14]. However, the close association of animal or food vehicles with human infections remains unclear.…”