This is the largest nationwide surveillance study in Korea hospitals on ESBL-EC bacteremia focusing on ST131 isolates.
The virulence factors iutA, traT, hlyA, and cnf1 were more prevalent in ST131.
In CTX-M-15 producers, the frequency of serum resistance was significantly higher in ST131 than in non-ST131.
Compared with non-ST131 clones, ST131 has shown more virulent traits and multidrug resistance patterns.