Distribution of virulence factors and its relatedness towards the antimicrobial response of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli strains isolated from patients in Kolkata, India

Aim Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is one of the most widely recognized diarrhoeal pathogens in developing countries. The advancement of ETEC vaccine development depends on the antigenic determinants of the ETEC isolates from a particular geographical region. So, the aim here was to comprehend the distribution of virulence determinants of the clinical ETEC strains of this region. Additionally, an attempt was made to find any correlation with the antimicrobial response pattern. Methods and results Multiplex PCR was employed to identify virulence determinants followed by confirmatory singleplex PCR. For observation of antibiotic response, the Kirby-Bauer method was used. Out of 379 strains, 46% of strains harboured both the enterotoxins ST and LT, whereas 15% were LT only. Among the major colonization factors (CFs), CS6 (41%) was the most prevalent followed by CFA/I (35%) and CFA/III was the lowest (3%). Among the minor CFs, CS21 (25%) was most prevalent, while CS15 showed the lowest (3%) presence. Among the non-classical virulence factors, EatA (69%) was predominant. ETEC strains harbouring CS6 showed resistance towards the commonly used drug Ciprofloxacin (70%). Conclusion CS6 and elt+est toxin genes co-occurred covering 51% of the isolates. CS21 was found in most strains with est genes (43%). EatA was found to occur frequently when ST was present alone or with LT. CS6-harbouring strains showed an independent correlation to antimicrobial resistance. Significance and Impact of the Study This study would aid in identifying the commonly circulating ETEC isolates of Kolkata, India, and their prevalent virulence determinants. Knowledge of antibiotic resistance patterns would also help in the appropriate use of antibiotics. Furthermore, the study would aid in identifying the multivalent antigens suitable for region-specific ETEC vaccines with maximum coverage.