Global dissemination of a multidrug resistant <i>Escherichia coli</i> clone

Abstract

<jats:title>Significance</jats:title> <jats:p> <jats:italic>Escherichia coli</jats:italic> sequence type 131 (ST131) is a globally disseminated multidrug-resistant clone associated with human urinary tract and bloodstream infections. Here, we have used genome sequencing to map the temporal and spatial relationship of a large collection of <jats:italic>E. coli</jats:italic> ST131 strains isolated from six distinct geographical regions across the world. We show that <jats:italic>E. coli</jats:italic> ST131 strains are distinct from other extraintestinal pathogenic <jats:italic>E. coli</jats:italic> and arose from a single progenitor strain prior to the year 2000. </jats:p>