Phylogenetic Analysis Detected Newly Identified Phylogroups in UropathogenicEscherichia coliIsolates in Iraq

Abstract

AbstractEscherichia coli(E. coli) strains have been classified into eight distinct phylogenetic clusters as per a novel quadruplex PCR method. Nevertheless, the precise phylogenetic relationship among these bacterial lineages remains unclear. The Clermont phylotyping method has been utilized by the current study to further clarifyE. coliphylogenetic clusters and assess resistance to antibiotics showed by uropathogenicE. coli(UPEC) strains in Iraq.Forty-two UPEC isolates were assessed for antibiotic sensitivity through a disk diffusion test, and the novel Clermont phylotyping method was utilized for the phylogenetic identification of isolates.The research findings revealed the varying prevalence of distinct phylogroups at the hospitals of Babylon province, Iraq, with Phylogroup B2, as the predominant group accounting for 47.61%, followed by Clade I (14.28%), B1 (11.90%), A (9.52%), D (4.76%), C (2.38%), and an unidentified phylogroup (9.52%). Additionally, out of the 42 UropathogenicE. coliisolates studied, 37 (88.09%) showed multidrug resistance (MDR) and 5 isolates (11.90%) displayed extensive drug resistance (XDR).MDR and XDR strains within Phylogroup B2 accounted for 17 out of 37 cases (45.24%) and 3 out of a total of 5 cases (60%), respectively, indicating a large proportion of MDR and XDR UPEC isolates within phylogroup B2. Moreover, two new phylogroups, namely C and clade I, were identified, linked respectively toE. colisensu stricto and crypticE. coli. Thus, further studies are required to be conducted elsewhere to gain a better perception of both antibiotic-resistance characteristics and the occurrence of diverse phylogroups in Iraq.