Whole-genome sequences of multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli in Rabat, Morocco

Background: Extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli are an increasingly significant cause of hospital and community-acquired infections worldwide. Whereas several reports have highlighted their increased prevalence also in North African countries, genomic data on isolates associated with these infections are still scarce. This study provides data ESBL-producing E. coli isolates from patients with extra-intestinal infections at the Military teaching hospital Mohamed V of Rabat (Morocco).Methods: Whole-genome sequencing was carried out on 18 of these ESBL-producing Extra-intestinal Pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) for analysis of phylogenomic evolution, virulence factor and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes. Data were compared to ExPEC lineages from a few surrounding countries using Multi-Locus Sequence Typing and Single Nucleotide Polymorphism-based phylogenetic approaches