Phylogenetic groups, virulence factors, and antimicrobial susceptibility of Escherichia coli associated with urinary tract infections from a Metropolitan Area of Buenos Aires, Arge...

Autores
Molina, Nora; Gonzalez, Ramon Alejandro; López, Marisa; Sparo, Mónica
Año de publicación
2026
Idioma
inglés
Tipo de recurso
artículo
Estado
versión publicada
Descripción
Background: Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) is the primary etiological agent of urinary tract infections (UTIs) worldwide. The emergence of strains combining high virulence with multidrug resistance (MDR) poses a significant challenge to public health. This study aimed to characterize the phylogenetic distribution, virulence profiles, and antimicrobial susceptibility of UPEC isolates recovered from patients in the metropolitan area of Buenos Aires (AMBA), Argentina. Methodology: Phylogenetic groups, the ST131 lineage, and virulence-associated genes were identified using PCR-based assays. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) was performed using automated methods and extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) production was confirmed using the double-disk synergy test. Colistin (COL) resistance was evaluated by Colistin Drop Test and PCR screening for the mcr-1 (mobile colistin resistance gene 1). Biofilm formation was detected by the Tissue Culture Plate (TCP) method, whereas phenotypic virulence factors (VF) were assessed with Congo Red agar, hemagglutination, and hemolysis assays. Results: Phylogenetic groups B2 (43.8%) and D (26.7%), typically associated with extraintestinal infections, were the most frequent. The high-risk clone B2-ST131 was detected in 6.7% of isolates. Biofilm production was observed in 92.4% of the isolates, with curli fimbriae (87.6%) being the most frequently expressed VF. The highest resistance rates were observed for ampicillin (62.1%), ampicillin-sulbactam (39.8%), and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (25.2%). Interestingly, 3.8% of isolates exhibited colistin resistance, despite the absence of the mcr-1 gene. Conclusions: This study highlights the detection of MDR-UPEC isolates that showed strong resistance to fluoroquinolones and were ESBL producers with high virulence in Argentina, justifying future research encompassing genomic and epidemiological monitoring of local UPEC, which is essential for managing infections and developing new therapeutic and preventive measures.
EEA Balcarce
Fil: Molina, Nora. Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP). Facultad de Ciencias Médicas; Argentina
Fil: González Pasayo, Ramón. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce. Instituto de Innovación para la Producción Agropecuaria y el Desarrollo Sostenible; Argentina
Fil: González Pasayo, Ramón. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET). Instituto de Innovación para la Producción Agropecuaria y el Desarrollo Sostenible; Argentina
Fil: López, Marisa. Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP). Facultad de Ciencias Médicas; Argentina
Fil: Sparo, Mónica. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud. Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias de la Salud; Argentina
Fuente
Antibiotics 15 (4) : 350. (April 2026)
Materia
Escherichia coli
Virulencia
Biofilm (microbiología)
Resistencia a los Antibióticos
Tracto Urinario
Virulence
Biofilms (microbiology)
Resistance to Antibiotics
Urinary Tract
Área Metropolitana de Buenos Aires (AMBA)
Nivel de accesibilidad
acceso abierto
Condiciones de uso
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
Repositorio
INTA Digital (INTA)
Institución
Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria
OAI Identificador
oai:localhost:20.500.12123/26718
Acceder
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oai_identifier_str oai:localhost:20.500.12123/26718
network_acronym_str INTADig
repository_id_str l
network_name_str INTA Digital (INTA)
spelling Phylogenetic groups, virulence factors, and antimicrobial susceptibility of Escherichia coli associated with urinary tract infections from a Metropolitan Area of Buenos Aires, ArgentinaMolina, NoraGonzalez, Ramon AlejandroLópez, MarisaSparo, MónicaEscherichia coliVirulenciaBiofilm (microbiología)Resistencia a los AntibióticosTracto UrinarioVirulenceBiofilms (microbiology)Resistance to AntibioticsUrinary TractÁrea Metropolitana de Buenos Aires (AMBA)Background: Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) is the primary etiological agent of urinary tract infections (UTIs) worldwide. The emergence of strains combining high virulence with multidrug resistance (MDR) poses a significant challenge to public health. This study aimed to characterize the phylogenetic distribution, virulence profiles, and antimicrobial susceptibility of UPEC isolates recovered from patients in the metropolitan area of Buenos Aires (AMBA), Argentina. Methodology: Phylogenetic groups, the ST131 lineage, and virulence-associated genes were identified using PCR-based assays. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) was performed using automated methods and extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) production was confirmed using the double-disk synergy test. Colistin (COL) resistance was evaluated by Colistin Drop Test and PCR screening for the mcr-1 (mobile colistin resistance gene 1). Biofilm formation was detected by the Tissue Culture Plate (TCP) method, whereas phenotypic virulence factors (VF) were assessed with Congo Red agar, hemagglutination, and hemolysis assays. Results: Phylogenetic groups B2 (43.8%) and D (26.7%), typically associated with extraintestinal infections, were the most frequent. The high-risk clone B2-ST131 was detected in 6.7% of isolates. Biofilm production was observed in 92.4% of the isolates, with curli fimbriae (87.6%) being the most frequently expressed VF. The highest resistance rates were observed for ampicillin (62.1%), ampicillin-sulbactam (39.8%), and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (25.2%). Interestingly, 3.8% of isolates exhibited colistin resistance, despite the absence of the mcr-1 gene. Conclusions: This study highlights the detection of MDR-UPEC isolates that showed strong resistance to fluoroquinolones and were ESBL producers with high virulence in Argentina, justifying future research encompassing genomic and epidemiological monitoring of local UPEC, which is essential for managing infections and developing new therapeutic and preventive measures.EEA BalcarceFil: Molina, Nora. Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP). Facultad de Ciencias Médicas; ArgentinaFil: González Pasayo, Ramón. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce. Instituto de Innovación para la Producción Agropecuaria y el Desarrollo Sostenible; ArgentinaFil: González Pasayo, Ramón. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET). Instituto de Innovación para la Producción Agropecuaria y el Desarrollo Sostenible; ArgentinaFil: López, Marisa. Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP). Facultad de Ciencias Médicas; ArgentinaFil: Sparo, Mónica. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud. Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias de la Salud; ArgentinaMDPI2026-06-19T17:31:40Z2026-06-19T17:31:40Z2026-04info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionhttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501info:ar-repo/semantics/articuloapplication/pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/26718https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6382/15/4/3502079-6382 (online)https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics15040350Antibiotics 15 (4) : 350. (April 2026)reponame:INTA Digital (INTA)instname:Instituto Nacional de Tecnología AgropecuariaengGreater Buenos Aires .......... (general region) (World, South America, Argentina)8725264info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccesshttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)2026-09-24T11:43:22Zoai:localhost:20.500.12123/26718instacron:INTAInstitucionalhttp://repositorio.inta.gob.ar/Organismo científico-tecnológicoNo correspondehttp://repositorio.inta.gob.ar/oai/requesttripaldi.nicolas@inta.gob.arArgentinaNo correspondeNo correspondeNo correspondeopendoar:l2026-09-24 11:43:23.538INTA Digital (INTA) - Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuariafalse
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Phylogenetic groups, virulence factors, and antimicrobial susceptibility of Escherichia coli associated with urinary tract infections from a Metropolitan Area of Buenos Aires, Argentina
title Phylogenetic groups, virulence factors, and antimicrobial susceptibility of Escherichia coli associated with urinary tract infections from a Metropolitan Area of Buenos Aires, Argentina
spellingShingle Phylogenetic groups, virulence factors, and antimicrobial susceptibility of Escherichia coli associated with urinary tract infections from a Metropolitan Area of Buenos Aires, Argentina
Molina, Nora
Escherichia coli
Virulencia
Biofilm (microbiología)
Resistencia a los Antibióticos
Tracto Urinario
Virulence
Biofilms (microbiology)
Resistance to Antibiotics
Urinary Tract
Área Metropolitana de Buenos Aires (AMBA)
title_short Phylogenetic groups, virulence factors, and antimicrobial susceptibility of Escherichia coli associated with urinary tract infections from a Metropolitan Area of Buenos Aires, Argentina
title_full Phylogenetic groups, virulence factors, and antimicrobial susceptibility of Escherichia coli associated with urinary tract infections from a Metropolitan Area of Buenos Aires, Argentina
title_fullStr Phylogenetic groups, virulence factors, and antimicrobial susceptibility of Escherichia coli associated with urinary tract infections from a Metropolitan Area of Buenos Aires, Argentina
title_full_unstemmed Phylogenetic groups, virulence factors, and antimicrobial susceptibility of Escherichia coli associated with urinary tract infections from a Metropolitan Area of Buenos Aires, Argentina
title_sort Phylogenetic groups, virulence factors, and antimicrobial susceptibility of Escherichia coli associated with urinary tract infections from a Metropolitan Area of Buenos Aires, Argentina
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Molina, Nora
Gonzalez, Ramon Alejandro
López, Marisa
Sparo, Mónica
author Molina, Nora
author_facet Molina, Nora
Gonzalez, Ramon Alejandro
López, Marisa
Sparo, Mónica
author_role author
author2 Gonzalez, Ramon Alejandro
López, Marisa
Sparo, Mónica
author2_role author
author
author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Escherichia coli
Virulencia
Biofilm (microbiología)
Resistencia a los Antibióticos
Tracto Urinario
Virulence
Biofilms (microbiology)
Resistance to Antibiotics
Urinary Tract
Área Metropolitana de Buenos Aires (AMBA)
topic Escherichia coli
Virulencia
Biofilm (microbiología)
Resistencia a los Antibióticos
Tracto Urinario
Virulence
Biofilms (microbiology)
Resistance to Antibiotics
Urinary Tract
Área Metropolitana de Buenos Aires (AMBA)
dc.description.none.fl_txt_mv Background: Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) is the primary etiological agent of urinary tract infections (UTIs) worldwide. The emergence of strains combining high virulence with multidrug resistance (MDR) poses a significant challenge to public health. This study aimed to characterize the phylogenetic distribution, virulence profiles, and antimicrobial susceptibility of UPEC isolates recovered from patients in the metropolitan area of Buenos Aires (AMBA), Argentina. Methodology: Phylogenetic groups, the ST131 lineage, and virulence-associated genes were identified using PCR-based assays. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) was performed using automated methods and extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) production was confirmed using the double-disk synergy test. Colistin (COL) resistance was evaluated by Colistin Drop Test and PCR screening for the mcr-1 (mobile colistin resistance gene 1). Biofilm formation was detected by the Tissue Culture Plate (TCP) method, whereas phenotypic virulence factors (VF) were assessed with Congo Red agar, hemagglutination, and hemolysis assays. Results: Phylogenetic groups B2 (43.8%) and D (26.7%), typically associated with extraintestinal infections, were the most frequent. The high-risk clone B2-ST131 was detected in 6.7% of isolates. Biofilm production was observed in 92.4% of the isolates, with curli fimbriae (87.6%) being the most frequently expressed VF. The highest resistance rates were observed for ampicillin (62.1%), ampicillin-sulbactam (39.8%), and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (25.2%). Interestingly, 3.8% of isolates exhibited colistin resistance, despite the absence of the mcr-1 gene. Conclusions: This study highlights the detection of MDR-UPEC isolates that showed strong resistance to fluoroquinolones and were ESBL producers with high virulence in Argentina, justifying future research encompassing genomic and epidemiological monitoring of local UPEC, which is essential for managing infections and developing new therapeutic and preventive measures.
EEA Balcarce
Fil: Molina, Nora. Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP). Facultad de Ciencias Médicas; Argentina
Fil: González Pasayo, Ramón. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce. Instituto de Innovación para la Producción Agropecuaria y el Desarrollo Sostenible; Argentina
Fil: González Pasayo, Ramón. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET). Instituto de Innovación para la Producción Agropecuaria y el Desarrollo Sostenible; Argentina
Fil: López, Marisa. Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP). Facultad de Ciencias Médicas; Argentina
Fil: Sparo, Mónica. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud. Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias de la Salud; Argentina
description Background: Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) is the primary etiological agent of urinary tract infections (UTIs) worldwide. The emergence of strains combining high virulence with multidrug resistance (MDR) poses a significant challenge to public health. This study aimed to characterize the phylogenetic distribution, virulence profiles, and antimicrobial susceptibility of UPEC isolates recovered from patients in the metropolitan area of Buenos Aires (AMBA), Argentina. Methodology: Phylogenetic groups, the ST131 lineage, and virulence-associated genes were identified using PCR-based assays. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) was performed using automated methods and extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) production was confirmed using the double-disk synergy test. Colistin (COL) resistance was evaluated by Colistin Drop Test and PCR screening for the mcr-1 (mobile colistin resistance gene 1). Biofilm formation was detected by the Tissue Culture Plate (TCP) method, whereas phenotypic virulence factors (VF) were assessed with Congo Red agar, hemagglutination, and hemolysis assays. Results: Phylogenetic groups B2 (43.8%) and D (26.7%), typically associated with extraintestinal infections, were the most frequent. The high-risk clone B2-ST131 was detected in 6.7% of isolates. Biofilm production was observed in 92.4% of the isolates, with curli fimbriae (87.6%) being the most frequently expressed VF. The highest resistance rates were observed for ampicillin (62.1%), ampicillin-sulbactam (39.8%), and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (25.2%). Interestingly, 3.8% of isolates exhibited colistin resistance, despite the absence of the mcr-1 gene. Conclusions: This study highlights the detection of MDR-UPEC isolates that showed strong resistance to fluoroquinolones and were ESBL producers with high virulence in Argentina, justifying future research encompassing genomic and epidemiological monitoring of local UPEC, which is essential for managing infections and developing new therapeutic and preventive measures.
publishDate 2026
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2026-06-19T17:31:40Z
2026-06-19T17:31:40Z
2026-04
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501
info:ar-repo/semantics/articulo
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/26718
https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6382/15/4/350
2079-6382 (online)
https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics15040350
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/26718
https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6382/15/4/350
https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics15040350
identifier_str_mv 2079-6382 (online)
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv eng
language eng
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
dc.coverage.none.fl_str_mv Greater Buenos Aires .......... (general region) (World, South America, Argentina)
8725264
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv MDPI
publisher.none.fl_str_mv MDPI
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv Antibiotics 15 (4) : 350. (April 2026)
reponame:INTA Digital (INTA)
instname:Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria
reponame_str INTA Digital (INTA)
collection INTA Digital (INTA)
instname_str Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria
repository.name.fl_str_mv INTA Digital (INTA) - Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria
repository.mail.fl_str_mv tripaldi.nicolas@inta.gob.ar
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score 12.754232

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