Phylogenetic Analysis of Non-O157 Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli Strains by Whole-Genome Sequencing

Abstract

Non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains are emerging food-borne pathogens causing life-threatening diseases and food-borne outbreaks. A better understanding of their evolution provides a framework for developing tools to control food safety. We obtained 15 genomes of non-O157 STEC strains, including O26, O111, and O103 strains. Phylogenetic trees revealed a close relationship between O26:H11 and O111:H11 and a scattered distribution of O111. We hypothesize that STEC serotypes with the same H antigens might share common ancestors.