Transmission dynamics of Escherichia coli sequence type 131 in households—a one health prospective cohort study
Issued Date
2025-12-01
Resource Type
eISSN
20411723
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-105017414074
Journal Title
Nature Communications
Volume
16
Issue
1
Rights Holder(s)
SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
Nature Communications Vol.16 No.1 (2025)
Suggested Citation
Perez R.L., Chung The H., Vignesvaran K., Tan W.C., Chua M.S.H., Tan E.Y., Peng S.Y., Zhou L., Singh S.R., Yeung W., Seah I., Teo J., Aung K.T., Tang C.Y., Ong R.T.H., Cooper B.S., Banerjee R., Tambyah P.A., Mo Y. Transmission dynamics of Escherichia coli sequence type 131 in households—a one health prospective cohort study. Nature Communications Vol.16 No.1 (2025). doi:10.1038/s41467-025-63121-x Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/123456789/112447
Title
Transmission dynamics of Escherichia coli sequence type 131 in households—a one health prospective cohort study
Author's Affiliation
National University of Singapore
Vanderbilt University
Nuffield Department of Medicine
National University Hospital
National University Health System
School of Biological Sciences
Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit
Department of Medicine
Oxford University Clinical Research Unit
National Environment Agency, Singapore
Singapore Food Agency
Vanderbilt University
Nuffield Department of Medicine
National University Hospital
National University Health System
School of Biological Sciences
Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit
Department of Medicine
Oxford University Clinical Research Unit
National Environment Agency, Singapore
Singapore Food Agency
Corresponding Author(s)
Other Contributor(s)
Abstract
Escherichia coli sequence type 131 (ST131) is a major cause of community-onset, multidrug-resistant extraintestinal infections. The transmission and carriage dynamics associated with E. coli ST131’s global prevalence remain poorly understood. Here, we identify a group of persistent, high-density carriers of E. coli ST131 in the community. In this prospective cohort study in Singapore, we enrolled index patients with prior extraintestinal E. coli infections (17 with ST131, 17 with other sequence types) and their household coresidents. We collected sequential stool samples from 135 human participants and six companion animals and environmental swabs from 34 households. We identified nine carriers that persistently carried E. coli ST131 in high densities (57.79% of E. coli isolates per sample) for a median carriage duration of 86.35 days (80% credible interval (CrI) 30.03 to 188.80). Persistent carriers and their coresidents carried genetically similar E. coli ST131 isolates (median single nucleotide polymorphism distance 2, interquartile range 2 to 7), but persistent carriers harboured greater diversity, suggesting that they were the source of inter-individual transmissions. Our results highlight asymptomatic, persistent carriers as potential reservoirs sustaining community E. coli ST131 transmissions, offering a potential target for public health interventions such as vaccination to limit the spread of multidrug resistance.