Genotypic analysis of uropathogenic Escherichia coli to understand factors that impact the prevalence of β-lactam-resistant urinary tract infections in a community

•β-lactam resistance was most common, and found in 31% of the uropathogenic Escherichia coli.•The blaTEM β-lactamase gene accounted for 93% of β-lactam resistance.•IncFIB, IncFIA, and IncB/O plasmid groups were associated with β-lactam resistance.•Lineage composition was different among β-lactam-resistant and susceptible Escherichia coli. To determine the contribution of specific uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) lineages, drug resistance genes, and plasmid incompatibility/replicon (Inc) groups to the prevalence of β-lactam-resistant urinary tract infections (UTIs) in a university community. Urine samples were consecutively collected and cultured over a 2-year period from patients presenting to a university health centre with symptoms of UTI. Isolated UPEC were subtyped by multilocus sequence typing and fimH typing, and tested by PCR and sequencing for β-lactamase genes and plasmid Inc groups. Among 273 UPEC isolates, 85 (31%) were ampicillin-resistant (AMP-R) and 188 (69%) were susceptible to all β-lactam drugs (AMP-S). Six lineages accounted for two-thirds of the isolates: ST95 (21%), ST69 (11%), ST420 (11%), ST73 (10%), ST127 (8%), and ST404 (3%). ST69 and ST404 were associated with AMP-R (P=0.003, P=0.0005), while ST420 and ST127 were associated with AMP-S (P