Uropathogenic EschErichia coli in Uti patients, thailand Vol 48 No. 5 September 2017 1029 Correspondence: Orasa Suthienkul, Center of Ecohealth Education and Research, Faculty of Public Health, Thammasat University, Rangsit Center, Pathum Thani 12121, Thailand. Tel: +66 (0) 2564 4440 E-mail: orasa.s@fph.tu.ac.th; orasa.sut@mahidol.ac.th VIRULENCE FACTORS AND MOLECULAR EPIDEMIOLOGY OF UROPATHOGENIC ESCHERICHIA COLI ISOLATED FROM PAIRED URINE AND RECTAL SWAB SAMPLES OF PATIENTS WITH URINARY TRACT INFECTIONS IN THAILAND Nattaya Parikumsil 1 , Watsawan Prapasawat 2 , Achiraya Siriphap 3 , Kaknokrat Chonsin 4 , Chonchanok Theethakaew 1 , Nipa Sukolrattanamaetee 5 , Detwan Ratchatanapha 5 , Kanokrat Siripanichgon 1 and Orasa Suthienkul 6 1 Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Public Health, Mahidol University, Bangkok; 2 Department of Clinic, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mahanakorn University of Technology, Bangkok; 3 Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, School of Medical Sciences, University of Phayao, Phayao; 4 Community Health Program, Faculty of Science and Technology, Suratthani Rajabhat University, Surat Thani; 5 Department of Medicine, Photharam Hospital, Ratchaburi; 6 Center of Ecohealth Education and Research, Faculty of Public Health, Thammasat University, Rangsit Center, Pathum Thani, Thailand Abstract. The role of uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) pathotypes and geno- types, including their specifc virulence factors, in the pathogenesis of infection remains unclear. We aimed to fnd the role of UPEC in the pathogeneses of the patients with urinary tract infections. Ninety urine and corresponding rectal swab E. coli samples from patients with community-acquired (CAI), hospital-acquired (HAI) and asymptomatic (AUTI) urinary infections (n = 30 per group) admitted to a hospital in Thailand were subjected to characterization of virulence phenotypes and genotypes. Serogroup O25 was most prevalent (18%) among 6 serogroups (includ- ing O1, O6, O8, O18, and O15) and phylogenetic group B2 (39%) among 4 groups (including A, B1 and D) of E. coli isolates, with those from urine signifcantly higher than in rectal swab from all three types of UTIs. Three virulence-associated gene profles (fmH + , fmH + aer + and fmH + aer + usp + ) were the most common in E. coli strains isolated from both urine and rectal swab samples of all three UTIs. Six out of eight randomly amplifed polymorphic DNA patterns of paired urine and rectal swab E. coli strains with identical serogroup, phylogenetic group and virulence-associated gene profle isolated from AUTI, CAI and HAI groups (two in each group) showed the same pattern. These fndings should contribute to a better understanding of the transmission of commensal E. coli through the urethral route. Keywords: uropathogenic Escherichia coli, phylogenetic group, RAPD profling, serogroup, virulence-associated gene