Virulence genes and phylogenetic groups of uropathogenic Escherichia coli isolates from patients with urinary tract infection and uninfected control subjects: a case-control study

Abstract excerpt

BACKGROUND: Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) is one of the most common bacterial infectious diseases which causes considerable morbidity and costly health problems. Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC), the most common pathogen causing UTI, is a highly heterogeneous group of extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC) which may carry a variety of virulence factors and belonging to different phylogenetic backgrounds....