1 ARTICLE TYPE: Short-Form Paper 1 2 TITLE 3 Antimicrobial resistance and virulence characterisation among Escherichia coli 4 clinical isolates causing severe obstetric infections in pregnant women. 5 6 Elisabet Guiral 1 , Emma Sáez-López 1 , Jordi Bosch 1,2 , Anna Goncé 3 , Marta López 3 , Sergi 7 Sanz 1,4 , Jordi Vila 1,2 , Sara M. Soto 1# 8 9 1 Barcelona Centre for International Health Research (CRESIB, Hospital Clínic- 10 Universitat de Barcelona), Barcelona, Spain. 2 Department of Clinical Microbiology, 11 Hospital Clinic, School of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. 3 12 Department of Maternal–Fetal Medicine, Institut Clinic de Ginecologia, Obstetricia i 13 Neonatologia, Hospital Clinic-IDIBAPS, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. 4 14 Unit of Biostatistics of Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of 15 Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. 16 RUNNING TITLE: E. coli resistance and virulence in obstetric infections. 17 18 # CORRESPONDENT FOOTNOTE 19 Sara M. Soto 20 Barcelona Centre for International Health Research (CRESIB) 21 Edificio CEK-1ª planta; C/ Rosselló 149-153 22 08036-Barcelona, Spain 23 Phone: +34-932275707; Fax: +34-932279327 24 e-mail: sara.soto@cresib.cat 25 26