Extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC), the specialized strains ofE.coli that cause most extraintestinal infections, represent a major but littleappreciated health threat. Phylogenetic analysis has shown that ExPEC is composedof four main phylogenetic groups (A,B1, B2, and D) and that virulent extraintestinalstrains mainly belong to groups B2 and D.In this study, we aimed to assess therelation between adherence virulence and phylogenetic groups of ExPEC.A total of 161 E.coli samples were collected. Out of these 17 (10.6%) werefrom pus, 66 (41 %) from urine, 78 (48.4%) from cervical swab. The phylogeneticgroups and 6 virulence genes (fimH, papC, papGII, papGIII, fa/draBC,andSfa/focDE) encoding adhesins were identified by triplex PCR. Phylogeneticgroups distribution was as follows: B1 10.5%, A 24.7%, B2 25.3%, and D 38.9%. Virulence genes prevalence was fimH 90.1%, papC 23%, papGII 16.8%, papGIII1.9%, Afa/draBC 11.8%, andSfa/focDE 5.6%. The cell surface protein (curli) wasdetected 50,3% by Congo red agar. In conclusion: The most isolated strainsbelonged to the phylogenetic group B2 and D. The phylogenetic groups weresignificantly associated with some genes encoding adhesins (fimH, papC) and cellsurface protein (curli).

Extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC), the specialized strains ofE.coli that cause most extraintestinal infections, represent a major but littleappreciated health threat. Phylogenetic analysis has shown that ExPEC is composedof four main phylogenetic groups (A,B1, B2, and D) and that virulent extraintestinalstrains mainly belong to groups B2 and D.In this study, we aimed to assess therelation between adherence virulence and phylogenetic groups of ExPEC.A total of 161 E.coli samples were collected. Out of these 17 (10.6%) werefrom pus, 66 (41 %) from urine, 78 (48.4%) from cervical swab. The phylogeneticgroups and 6 virulence genes (fimH, papC, papGII, papGIII, fa/draBC,andSfa/focDE) encoding adhesins were identified by triplex PCR. Phylogeneticgroups distribution was as follows: B1 10.5%, A 24.7%, B2 25.3%, and D 38.9%. Virulence genes prevalence was fimH 90.1%, papC 23%, papGII 16.8%, papGIII1.9%, Afa/draBC 11.8%, andSfa/focDE 5.6%. The cell surface protein (curli) wasdetected 50,3% by Congo red agar. In conclusion: The most isolated strainsbelonged to the phylogenetic group B2 and D. The phylogenetic groups weresignificantly associated with some genes encodingadhesins (fimH, papC) and cellsurface protein (curli).