Multiple-Host Sharing, Long-Term Persistence, and Virulence of Escherichia coli Clones from Human and Animal Household Members

During a 3-year surveillance, six household members (five humans and the family dog) yielded 14 Escherichia coli clones. Virulence genes, group B2, and having caused cystitis (in the mother or dog) corresponded to colonization endpoints (number of samples, colonies, hosts, and dates). The dog's cystitis clone was the most extensively recovered clone.