{
  "abstract": "Escherichia coli ST131 is a globally disseminated extraintestinal lineage best known for its resistance-driven expansion, yet it is rarely reported as a cause of neonatal meningitis. Whether specific ST131 sublineages retain neuroinvasive potential remains poorly understood. We analysed a 25-year nationwide French collection of 355 neonatal meningitis E. coli isolates recovered between 2000 and 2024. ST131 isolates were characterized by whole-genome sequencing, and ST131-O25b-fimH22 genomes were contextualized in a phylogeny including human-associated genomes and selected animal- and food-associated references. An extended dataset of 623 animal- and food-associated ST131-O25b-fimH22 genomes was analysed separately to assess the distribution of virulence-associated lineages across non-human reservoirs. Nine neonatal meningitis isolates belonged to ST131. Six were O25b:H4-fimH22 clade B isolates carrying K1, invasion of brain endothelium A (ibeA) and pS88-like markers; non-fimH22 isolates had heterogeneous virulence/resistance profiles, including two with senB-cjrABC-positive pRS218-like signatures. Phylogenomic analysis placed French ST131-O25b-fimH22 meningitis isolates within a conserved 85-genome lineage spanning 1995-2024 and comprising meningitis, bloodstream, urinary and avian-source isolates. This lineage was enriched in K1, ibeA, pS88-like signatures and virotype D/D4, with most isolates sharing HC100 assignment (≤100 core-genome allelic differences). The extended animal- and food-associated dataset identified a large poultry-associated HC100 population with the same K1/ibeA/pS88-like profile, whereas pRS218-like signatures were uncommon and mainly canine or feline. Although ST131 rarely causes neonatal meningitis, the isolates identified belong to a conserved ancestral ST131-O25b-fimH22 clade B lineage combining the major determinants of neonatal meningitis E. coli pathogenicity and are closely related to poultry-associated populations. Together with previous observations in ST95, these findings support a shared avian reservoir for highly pathogenic extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli lineages, distinct from the resistance-driven expansion of ST131-H30 and highlight the importance of One Health genomic surveillance.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Université Paris Cité and Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, Inserm, IAME, F-75018 Paris, France.",
    "Department of Microbiology, National Reference Center Escherichia coli, Robert Debré University Hospital, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Paris, France.",
    "Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Robert Debré University Hospital, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Paris, France."
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 8,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Yasmine Benhadid-Brahmi"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Guillaume Geslain",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-5869-9908"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Kevin La"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Stéphane Bonacorsi"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Céline Courroux"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Erick Denamur"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Philippe Bidet"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "André Birgy",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-9462-0582"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4v22fsazz6t2h.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1099/mgen.0.001857",
  "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13689937",
  "id": "4v22fsazz6t2h",
  "issns": [
    "2057-5858",
    "2057-5858"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://hal.science/hal-05788512v1",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "hal",
      "0.sdv"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "1310|Escherichia coli research studies"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7220837336",
  "pdf_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13689937?pdf=render",
  "pmcid": "PMC13689937",
  "pmid": "42841873",
  "published": "2026-10-01",
  "publisher": "Society for General Microbiology",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4v22fsazz6t2h.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:17:52Z",
      "native_id": "hal-05788512",
      "source": "hal",
      "url": "https://hal.science/hal-05788512v1"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:18:10Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42841873",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42841873"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "openalex:1310|Escherichia coli research studies",
      "subfield": "endocrinology-metabolism"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Escherichia coli ST131 isolates are rare in human meningitis but belong to a distinct O25b-fimH22 clade B lineage shared with avian pathogenic Escherichia coli",
  "title_text": "Escherichia coli ST131 isolates are rare in human meningitis but belong to a distinct O25b-fimH22 clade B lineage shared with avian pathogenic Escherichia coli",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:18:10Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4v22fsazz6t2h",
  "venue": "Microbial Genomics",
  "versions": []
}