Extensive Overlap in Avian and Extraintestinal Pathogenic Escherichia coli Strains Between Backyard Poultry, Humans,...

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Public Health
• One Health

Background:

• Escherichia coli (E. coli) is a common bacterium found in animals and the environment.
• Poultry can carry avian pathogenic E. coli (APEC), posing a risk to human health.
• The role of backyard poultry in household APEC transmission is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the sharing of E. coli strains among children, dogs, and chickens in peri-urban households.
• To determine the prevalence of APEC-associated genes in E. coli isolates from these hosts.
• To understand the impact of backyard poultry on community E. coli ecology.

Main Methods:

• Collected 1348 E. coli isolates from 222 households in Quito, Ecuador.
• Used Clermont phylotyping and multilocus sequence typing to analyze isolates.
• Examined isolates across five timepoints and multiple host sources (children, dogs, chickens).

Main Results:

• Identified extensive overlap of E. coli strains between humans, dogs, and chickens.
• Found high carriage rates of APEC-indicative genes in human (37%) and dog (49%) isolates.
• Phylogenetic analysis revealed closely related E. coli clones shared across hosts, households, and time.

Conclusions:

• Backyard poultry rearing contributes significantly to E. coli sharing within households and communities.
• High APEC carriage rates in humans and dogs suggest increased transmission risk.
• Findings emphasize the importance of the One Health approach in managing bacterial transmission.