A silent threat is spreading, and it's as fast as the flu. That's right, a common gut bacteria, E. coli, is showing signs of spreading with alarming speed, mirroring the transmission rates of the swine flu. This groundbreaking research, conducted by scientists at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, the University of Oslo, the University of Helsinki, Aalto University in Finland, and their collaborators, marks a pivotal moment in understanding how these bacteria move through our communities.
For the first time, researchers have developed a method to predict how quickly E. coli can be passed from person to person. Previously, this kind of calculation was primarily limited to viruses. The study, published in Nature Communications, focused on three major E. coli strains found in the UK and Norway. Notably, two of these strains are resistant to multiple antibiotics, making them a significant concern. These resistant strains are among the most frequent causes of urinary tract infections and bloodstream infections in the UK and Norway. The ability to track these bacteria more effectively could lead to better public health strategies, helping to prevent outbreaks of treatment-resistant infections.
But here's where it gets controversial: Understanding the genetic mechanisms that enable certain E. coli strains to spread could pave the way for targeted treatments, potentially reducing our reliance on broad-spectrum antibiotics. The techniques used in this study could also be adapted to study other bacterial pathogens, enhancing our ability to control various invasive infections.
E. coli, a leading cause of infections worldwide, is typically harmless and resides in our gut. However, when it enters the urinary tract or bloodstream, it can cause severe infections, especially in those with weakened immune systems. Colonization happens through direct contact, like kissing, or indirect contact, such as sharing households, objects, or food.
And this is the part most people miss: Antibiotic resistance is a growing challenge. In the UK, over 40% of E. coli bloodstream infections are resistant to key antibiotics. The study used the basic reproduction number, or R0, a metric that indicates how many new infections one person can cause. While commonly used for viruses, this is a first for gut bacteria like E. coli, which don't always cause infections but can still spread.
The team analyzed data from the UK Baby Biome Study, combined with genomic data from the UK and Norway. Using a software platform called ELFI (Engine for Likelihood-Free Inference), they built a model to predict the R0 for three major E. coli strains.
The findings revealed that one strain, ST131-A, spreads as quickly as viruses that have caused global outbreaks, such as swine flu (H1N1). However, the other two strains, ST131-C1 and ST131-C2, which are antibiotic-resistant, do not spread as rapidly among healthy individuals. However, they likely have a much higher transmissibility when present in hospitals and other healthcare facilities.
Having an R0 allows experts to better understand the factors influencing transmission, identify the riskiest strains, and inform public health measures.
Fanni Ojala, co-first author at Aalto University in Finland, stated, "By having a large amount of systematically collected data, it was possible to build a simulation model to predict R0 for E. coli. To our knowledge, this was not just a first for E. coli, but a first for any bacteria that live in our gut microbiome. Now that we have this model, it could be possible to apply it to other bacterial strains in the future, allowing us to understand, track, and hopefully prevent the spread of antibiotic-resistant infections.”
Dr. Trevor Lawley, Group Leader at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, who co-led the UK Baby Biome Study, noted, "E. coli is one of the first bacteria that can be found in a baby’s gut, and in order to understand how our bacteria shape our health, we need to know where we start – which is why the UK Baby Biome study is so important. It is great to see that our UK Baby Biome study data are being used by others to uncover new insights and methods that will hopefully benefit us all.”
Professor Jukka Corander, senior author at the Wellcome Sanger Institute and the University of Oslo, concluded, “Having the R0 for E. coli allows us to see the spread of bacteria through the population in much clearer detail, and compare this to other infections. Now that we can see how rapidly some of these bacterial strains spread, it is necessary to understand their genetic drivers. Understanding the genetics of specific strains could lead to new ways to diagnose and treat these in healthcare settings, which is especially important for bacteria that are already resistant to multiple types of antibiotics.”
What are your thoughts on the implications of this research? Do you think the focus on antibiotic resistance is sufficient, or should we be exploring other strategies? Share your opinions in the comments below!
