Community-wide outbreaks of clonally related CTX-M-14 β-lactamase- producing Escherichia coli strains in the Calgary Health Region

Enterobacteriaceae producing extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) typically cause nosocomial infections. Previous surveillance in the Calgary Health Region showed that Escherichia coli strains producing ESBLs were common among community patients. During the period (2000 to 2002): 23 of 157 (15%) of the strains were positive for blaCTX-M genes from the CTX-M-I group (CTX-M-1-like) and 87 of 157 (55%) of the strains were positive for bla CTX-M genes from the CTX-M-III group (CTX-M-14-like). The objective of this study was to investigate the molecular epidemiology of these strains. The β-lactamases were characterized, and the genetic relatedness of the isolates was analyzed by digesting genomic DNA with the restriction endonuclease XbaI and by performing pulse-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). PFGE revealed two closely related restriction patterns (clusters CTXM14A and CTXM14AR) among 67 (77%) CTX-M-14 producers. These strains from CTXM14A had nearly identical susceptibility patterns and were isolated most often from urine samples obtained at community sites during 2000 and 2001. Strains from the CTX-M-1-like and CTX-M-negative groups were unrelated to clusters CTXM14, CTXM14AR, and CTXM14NR. We conclude that clonally related strains of E. coli producing CTX-M-14 β-lactamases were responsible for a predominantly community-wide outbreak. Further studies are warranted to investigate whether community-onset diseases caused by ESBL-producing E. coli are related to a point source or transmission within the community.