{
  "abstract": "The objective of this work was to identify and characterise the causative agent(s) of an atypical septicaemic syndrome in 3- to 6-month-old calves. Nine cattle from three Scottish dairy farms were subject to post-mortem in 2020 and 2021, and tissue samples were screened via routine bacteriology. Escherichia coli was isolated from all sampled tissues and a representative isolate from each calf was taken forward for whole-genome sequencing for strain typing, identification of putative virulence factors and antimicrobial resistance genes, and assessment of phylogenetic relationships with other sequenced strains. The nine E. coli isolates were highly-related, being separated by a maximum of 5 single nucleotide polymorphisms. The isolates were serotyped in silico as O78, H9 and were multilocus sequence typed as ST23. Further analysis revealed 13 virulence genes, with the most frequent being associated with serum survival, cytotoxic protein and haemolysin production, and iron transport. These strains encode a novel fimH variant – designated fimH-1571 – which has a mutation potentially linked to increased adherence and invasion. Phylogeny and virulence gene profile indicate an avian pathogenic-like E. coli within a poultry lineage, however there were no poultry units in the vicinity of these farms. Ampicillin, amoxicillin, streptomycin and tetracycline resistance was predicted from their genome sequences, which agreed with phenotypic antimicrobial susceptibility testing. In conclusion, while not demonstrated here, these data are consistent with a transmission event between cattle units (or a common source) and suggest the possible emergence of virulent avian pathogenic-like E. coli in cattle for which future surveillance is merited.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "SRUC Veterinary Services, Edinburgh, United Kingdom",
    "Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and the Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom"
  ],
  "article_type": "Research Article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 7,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Jolinda Pollock"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Geoffrey Foster"
    },
    {
      "name": "Jordan Maliska"
    },
    {
      "name": "Katrina Henderson"
    },
    {
      "name": "Colin Mason"
    },
    {
      "name": "Cici Corbett"
    },
    {
      "name": "Gavin K. Paterson"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/f2n59js5apjdk.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1371/journal.pone.0359646",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "f2n59js5apjdk",
  "issns": [
    "1932-6203"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0359646",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "journal",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "1310|Escherichia coli research studies"
    ],
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      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Evolutionary biology/Evolutionary systematics/Phylogenetics/Animal phylogenetics"
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      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Genetics/Genomics"
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    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Microbiology/Medical microbiology/Microbial pathogens/Bacterial pathogens"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Microbiology/Medical microbiology/Microbial pathogens/Bacterial pathogens/Escherichia coli"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Microbiology/Microbial control/Antimicrobial resistance"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Microbiology/Microbial control/Antimicrobials/Antibiotics/Streptomycin"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Microbiology/Microbial control/Antimicrobials/Antibiotics/Tetracyclines"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Organisms/Bacteria/Enterobacteriaceae/Escherichia/Escherichia coli"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Organisms/Bacteria/Gut bacteria/Escherichia/Escherichia coli"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Taxonomy/Evolutionary systematics/Phylogenetics/Animal phylogenetics"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Zoology/Animal phylogenetics"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Computer and information sciences/Data management/Taxonomy/Evolutionary systematics/Phylogenetics/Animal phylogenetics"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Medicine and health sciences/Pathology and laboratory medicine/Pathogens/Microbial pathogens/Bacterial pathogens"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Medicine and health sciences/Pathology and laboratory medicine/Pathogens/Microbial pathogens/Bacterial pathogens/Escherichia coli"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Medicine and health sciences/Pathology and laboratory medicine/Pathogens/Virulence factors"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Medicine and health sciences/Pharmacology/Antimicrobial resistance"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Medicine and health sciences/Pharmacology/Drugs/Antimicrobials/Antibiotics/Streptomycin"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Medicine and health sciences/Pharmacology/Drugs/Antimicrobials/Antibiotics/Tetracyclines"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Research and analysis methods/Animal studies/Experimental organism systems/Model organisms/Escherichia coli"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Research and analysis methods/Animal studies/Experimental organism systems/Prokaryotic models/Escherichia coli"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Research and analysis methods/Model organisms/Escherichia coli"
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  ],
  "openalex": "W7221098214",
  "pdf_url": "https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0359646&type=printable",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-09",
  "publisher": "Public Library of Science",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/f2n59js5apjdk.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:17:30Z",
      "native_id": "10.1371/journal.pone.0359646",
      "source": "plos",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0359646"
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  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "plos:microbiology",
      "subfield": "microbiology"
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    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "plos:pharmacology",
      "subfield": "pharmacology-toxicology"
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  ],
  "title": "Characterisation of multidrug-resistant, avian pathogenic-like Escherichia coli O78 from dairy-bred calves with atypical colisepticaemia",
  "title_text": "Characterisation of multidrug-resistant, avian pathogenic-like Escherichia coli O78 from dairy-bred calves with atypical colisepticaemia",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:17:30Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/f2n59js5apjdk",
  "venue": "PLOS One",
  "versions": []
}