E__coli_K1. E__coli_K1

Escherichia coli is a leading cause of early- and late-onset neonatal sepsis as well as neonatal bacterial meningitis (NBM); a high proportion (~85% for NBM) of E. coli strains responsible for these life-threatening infections express the K1 capsule, an anti-phagocytic, polysialic acid homopolymer that facilitates survival in the bloodstream and is closely associated with the capacity to invade and cause disease in the central nervous system of susceptible infants. E. coli K1 is frequently encountered as a seemingly benign component of the gastrointestinal microbiota but is also often isolated from cases of bacteraemia and urinary tract infections in adults. The initial attempt to understand the population structure of E. coli K1 isolates from neonatal infections. This data is part of a pre-publication release. For information on the proper use of pre-publication data shared by the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute (including details of any publication moratoria), please see http://www.sanger.ac.uk/datasharing/