VIRULENCE FACTOR PROFILING AND PHYLOGENETIC CHARACTERIZATION OF UR PATHOGENIC ESCHERICHIA COLI ISOLATES FROM CLINICAL SAMPLES IN ERZURUM, TÜRKIYE

Ur opathogenic E. coli is the primary causal agent responsible for urinary tract infections, particularly in women. We obtained a total of 30 samples from the Atatürk University Research Hospital in Erzurum, Türkiye, from January 2021 to April 2021. We established the presence of E. coli using routine identification and biochemical assays. We discovered certain isolates through whole genome sequencing. This investigation revealed that a total of 84 genes, coding for virulence factors (VF), were present in five isolates. Our isolates include the following virulence factors: 12 genes encoding adhesins, 9 genes encoding iron acquisition systems, 8 genes involved in protection and invasion, 4 genes encoding toxins, and several additional miscellaneous proteins. The isolates contained in B1 and B2 belong to phylogenetic group classes one and four, respectively. Isolates two, three, and five are all part of the same phylogenetic group. Sequence type (ST) 69 contains isolate one, while ST 162 now contains isolate two. We isolated three individuals in ST 405, four in ST 131, and five in ST 69.