Molecular typing of Escherichia coli strains isolated from urinary tract infection by ERIC-PCR

Abstract Introduction Escherichia coli is a commensal-pathogenic organism with a wide range of strains. Several advanced molecular genomic-based technologies are used for detecting and identifying various strains of E. coli. Among them, the Enterobacterial Repetitive Intergenic Consensus Polymerase Chain Reaction (ERIC-PCR) technique is a fingerprint, fast and cost-effective method. The present study was aimed to determine the distribution of ERICs in E. coli strains isolated from different urine samples of patients. Methods A total of 92 UPEC isolates were obtained from inpatients and outpatients in Besat hospital and confirmed using standard microbiological, biochemical and molecular methods. The genetic relationship of the strains was investigated using ERIC method. Results Overall, 27 ERIC patterns were obtained that which 14 patterns were similar between different isolates (Common type) and 13 patterns were unique (Unique type). Conclusion ERIC-PCR is a simple, fast and low cost method to describe the genetic diversity of different E. coli strains including UPEC strains.