GENOMIC DIVERSITY OF UROPATHOGENIC Escherichia coli IN CLINICAL ISOLATES FROM SIX LATIN AMERICAN COUNTRIES, 2018-2023

Objective. To genetically characterize clinical isolates of uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) from hospitals in Peru and contextualize them against 127 additional UPEC genomes reported in six Latin American countries between 2018 and 2023. Materials and methods. The genomes of 16 Peruvian UPEC isolates were sequenced, assembled and supplemented with 127 genomes available in the NCBI public database. Serotypes, sequence types (STs), antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes, and resistance-associated mutations were identified. A phylogenetic analysis was also conducted in order to determine evolutionary relations and distribution in phylogroups. Results. The ST131 clone was the most prevalent (42.7%), followed by ST1193 (13.3%). Phylogroup B2 was widely predominant (83.2%), with serotype O25:H4 standing out. The resistance genes blaTEM-1, blaCTX-M-15, and blaCTX-M-27 were identified with high frequency, as well as mutations in gyrA and parC associated with fluoroquinolone resistance, especially in the ST131 clone. Conclusion. Our findings show high circulation of high-risk UPEC clones, such as ST131 and ST1193, in Latin America, along with a notable burden of genes and mutations linked to multidrug resistance, highlighting the need to strengthen regional genomic surveillance.