Comparative study of virulence traits of Escherichia coli clinical isolates causing early and late neonatal sepsis.

Neonatal meningitis and septicemia caused by Escherichia coli are still major health problems in industrialized countries. Forty-seven E. coli strains causing neonatal sepsis were analyzed. Twenty-two and 25 strains caused early (detected from 0 to 3 days after birth) and late (detected from 4 to 28 days after birth) infections, respectively. Only the ibeA gene was significantly more prevalent in the strains causing early infections.