Clonal diversity of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O103 : H2/H^- in Germany

Abstract Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli O103:H2/H − belong to the third most frequently isolated EHEC serotypes in Germany following isolates of O157:H7/H − and O26:H11/H − . A total of 145 respective E. coli 103 isolates from single cases of diarrhoea and haemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) in 1997–2000 were characterised by a range of molecular subtyping methods (PFGE, P -gene profiling, ribotyping, electrotyping) and phage typing in order to analyse their genetic relatedness and the practicability for new epidemiological tracing back. All isolates cluster into a distinct EHEC subgroup and reveal a high clonal diversity together with a considerable stability. Since strains of this serotype rank up to the third most frequently isolated EHEC in Germany a large population of this serotype, and therefore, a great supply of such strains may exist in this country.