Population structure of Escherichia coli from humans in northern Tanzania

This study aimed to characterize the molecular epidemiology of Escherichia coli (E. coli) causing invasive infections in northern Tanzania. E. coli is a leading cause of community-onset bloodstream infections in sub-Saharan Africa, yet few studies have comprehensively described the genotypes and antimicrobial resistance profiles of invasive isolates in this region.We performed whole genome sequencing (WGS) of 48 human E. coli isolates collected as part of three prospective studies conducted between 2007 and 2019 at two referral hospitals in Moshi, Tanzania: Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre (KCMC) and Mawenzi Regional Referral Hospital (MRRH). All isolates were collected from the bloodstream of febrile patients enrolled within 24 hours of hospital admission. appeared abnormal upon gross examination.