Rare emergence of symptoms during long-term asymptomatic E. coli 83972 carriage, without altered virulence factor repertoire.
Asymptomatic bacteriuria (ABU), established by intravesical inoculation of E.coli 83972, is protective in patients with recurrent UTI. In an RCT cross-over study, two patients developed three symptomatic UTI episodes while carrying E.coli 83972. This study examined if a reacquisition of virulence by symptom isolates may account for the switch from ABU to symptomatic UTI.
