Population genetics of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli using whole-genome sequencing analyses

Abstract

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) is an important pathogen since more than 3,000 cases have been reported annually in Japan. With the advent of next-generation sequencing, it has become feasible to analyze numerous strains using whole-genome sequence (WGS) analysis, making its application to surveillance a realistic possibility. In this paper, we introduce the following research outcomes achieved by our group utilizing WGS analysis of EHEC: 1) development of a WGS analysis pipeline to enhance the accuracy of the surveillance, 2) investigation of the dynamics of mobile elements such as plasmids and phages, and 3) analysis of the phylogeny and pathogenicity of newly identified highly pathogenic EHEC strains.