Abstract
Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) cause diarrhea-associated hemolytic uremic syndrome (D+ HUS) worldwide, but no systematic study of EHEC as the causative agents of HUS was performed in the Czech Republic. We analyzed stools of all patients with D+ HUS in the Czech Republic between 1998 and 2012 for evidence of EHEC infection.
We determined virulence profiles, phenotypes, antimicrobial susceptibilities and phylogeny of the EHEC isolates. IEHEC strains, including O157: H7 and non-O157: H7, are frequent causes of D+ HUS in the Czech Republic.
Identification of unusual EHEC serotypes/STs causing HUS calls for establishment of an European collection of HUS-associated EHEC, enabling to study properties and evolution of these important pathogens.