The genomic epidemiology of Escherichia albertii

Abstract

Abstract Escherichia albertii is a recently identified gastrointestinal bacterial pathogen of humans and animals which is typically misidentified and generally only detected during genomic surveillance of other Enterobacteriaceae. The incidence of E. albertii is likely underestimated and its epidemiology and clinical relevance are poorly characterised. Here, we whole genome sequenced E. albertii isolates from humans (n = 83) and birds (n = 79) in Great Britain and analysed a broader public dataset (n = 475) to address these gaps. We found human and avian isolates typically (90%; 148/164) belonged to host-associated monophyletic groups with distinct virulence and antimicrobial resistance profiles. Overlaid patient epidemiological data suggested that human infection was likely related to travel and possibly foodborne transmission. The Shiga toxin encoding stx2f gene was associated with clinical disease (OR = 10.27, 95% CI = 2.98–35.45 p = 0.0002) in finches. Our results suggest that improved future surveillance will further elucidate disease ecology and public and animal health risks associated with E. albertii.