Molecular Characterization of Escherichia coli Causing Urinary Tract Infections Through Next-Generation Sequencing: A Comprehensive Analysis of Serotypes, Sequence Types, and Antimicrobial and Virulence Genes.

Introduction An enormous increase in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) among bacteria isolated from human clinical specimens contributed to treatment failures. Increased surveillance through next-generation sequencing (NGS) or whole genome sequencing (WGS) could facilitate the study of the epidemiology of drug-resistant bacterial strains, resistance genes, and other virulence determinants they are potentially carrying. Methods This study included 30 (.