TY - JOUR
T1 - Strains Associated with Two 2020 Welder Anthrax Cases in the United States Belong to Separate Lineages within Bacillus cereus sensu lato
AU - Carroll, Laura M.
AU - Marston, Chung K.
AU - Kolton, Cari B.
AU - Gulvik, Christopher A.
AU - Gee, Jay E.
AU - Weiner, Zachary P.
AU - Kovac, Jasna
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture Hatch Appropriations under Project PEN04646 and Accession 1015787 and the USDA NIFA GRANT12686965.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 by the authors.
PY - 2022/8
Y1 - 2022/8
N2 - Anthrax-causing members of Bacillus cereus sensu lato (s.l.) pose a serious threat to public health. While most anthrax-causing strains resemble B. anthracis phenotypically, rare cases of anthrax-like illness caused by strains resembling “B. cereus” have been reported. Here, whole-genome sequencing was used to characterize three B. cereus s.l. isolates associated with two 2020 welder anthrax cases in the United States, which resembled “B. cereus” phenotypically. Comparison of the three genomes sequenced here to all publicly available, high-quality B. cereus s.l. genomes (n = 2890 total genomes) demonstrated that genomes associated with each case effectively belonged to separate species at the conventional 95% average nucleotide identity prokaryotic species threshold. Two PubMLST sequence type 78 (ST78) genomes affiliated with a case in Louisiana were most closely related to B. tropicus and possessed genes encoding the Bps exopolysaccharide capsule, as well as hemolysin BL (Hbl) and cytotoxin K (CytK). Comparatively, a ST108 genome associated with a case in Texas was most closely related to B. anthracis; however, like other anthrax-causing strains most closely related to B. anthracis, this genome did not possess Bps-, Hbl-, or CytK-encoding genes. Overall, results presented here provide insights into the evolution of anthrax-causing B. cereus s.l.
AB - Anthrax-causing members of Bacillus cereus sensu lato (s.l.) pose a serious threat to public health. While most anthrax-causing strains resemble B. anthracis phenotypically, rare cases of anthrax-like illness caused by strains resembling “B. cereus” have been reported. Here, whole-genome sequencing was used to characterize three B. cereus s.l. isolates associated with two 2020 welder anthrax cases in the United States, which resembled “B. cereus” phenotypically. Comparison of the three genomes sequenced here to all publicly available, high-quality B. cereus s.l. genomes (n = 2890 total genomes) demonstrated that genomes associated with each case effectively belonged to separate species at the conventional 95% average nucleotide identity prokaryotic species threshold. Two PubMLST sequence type 78 (ST78) genomes affiliated with a case in Louisiana were most closely related to B. tropicus and possessed genes encoding the Bps exopolysaccharide capsule, as well as hemolysin BL (Hbl) and cytotoxin K (CytK). Comparatively, a ST108 genome associated with a case in Texas was most closely related to B. anthracis; however, like other anthrax-causing strains most closely related to B. anthracis, this genome did not possess Bps-, Hbl-, or CytK-encoding genes. Overall, results presented here provide insights into the evolution of anthrax-causing B. cereus s.l.
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U2 - 10.3390/pathogens11080856
DO - 10.3390/pathogens11080856
M3 - Article
C2 - 36014977
AN - SCOPUS:85137411987
SN - 2076-0817
VL - 11
JO - Pathogens
JF - Pathogens
IS - 8
M1 - 856
ER -