Progress in microbiological and epidemiological characteristics of Escherichia albertii / 中华微生物学和免疫学杂志

ABSTRACT

Escherichia albertii is an emerging zoonotic enteropathogen which mainly causes infectious diarrhea. Since the discovery and naming of Escherichia albertii, it was found to be responsible for several outbreaks of foodborne gastroenteritis and widely distributed in avian and wild animals. Due to the lack of specific identification system, the global Escherichia albertii infections might be underestimated. Though avian has been considered as the important reservoir of Escherichia albertii, its role in disease transmission remains unclear. This study reviewed the biochemical properties, genomic characteristics, isolation and identification methods of Escherichia albertii, and its prevalence in human, host animals and food. The risk of Escherichia albertii infection and future perspectives in this field were also discussed.