Abstract
Background: The bacterial strains which cause symptomatic urinary tract infections possess diverse distinctive
properties that enable them to overcome local host defences. The present study was undertaken to screen for the
virulence factors of uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPFC) by molecular methods and to detect the genotypic
pathogenicity related sequences pap, sfa, and afa genes in E. coli strains by polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
Methods: A total of 350 E.coli isolates were obtained from symptomatic cases of urinary tract infections (UTI)
and 60 E. coli faecal isolates were collected from apparently healthy individuals (during February 2014-2016)
from outpatient department of a tertiary care hospital in Kerala, India. Isolates were tested for adhesive genes
pap, sfa, and afa.
Results: Among the UPEC samples, 255 (72.85%) of the isolates were from females and 95 (27.14%) of them
were obtained from males. The prevalence of pap gene was seen in 72 of the total isolates which were the
highest. The sfa genes were shown by 56 isolates. The afa genes were also in 7 of the isolates. Diversity of the
UPEC associated virulence genes were established in this study.
Conclusions: The E.coli causing UTI had greater percentage of virulence associated adhesin genes compared
to E.coli from control stool samples.