Enteroaggregative <i>Escherichia coli</i> is associated with antibiotic resistance and urinary tract infection symptomatology

Abstract

We found that 22% of the isolates carried the <i>aggR</i> gene and were classified as UPEC/EAEC. The main phylogenetic group was B2 (44.1% were UPEC and 77.27% UPEC/EAEC isolates, respectively). Over half of the UPEC/EAEC isolates (63.64%) were obtained from symptomatic patients, however the <i>aatA</i> gene was the only one found to be associated with the risk of developing pyelonephritis (OR = 5.15, <i>p</i> = 0.038). A total of 77.71% of the UPEC/EAEC isolates were ESBL producers and 90.91% multidrug-resistant (MDR). In conclusion, UPEC/EAEC isolates are more frequent in symptomatic patients and the <i>aatA</i> gene was associated with a higher risk of developing pyelonephritis, along with UPEC genes <i>hlyA</i> and <i>cfn1</i>. UPEC/EAEC isolates obtained from UTI showed ESBL production and MDR.