Abstract
The characterization of a broad representative sample of ST131 Escherichia coli isolates from different origins and settings (1991 to 2010) revealed that this clonal group has likely diversified recently and that the expansion of particular variants has probably been favored by the capture of diverse, multidrug-resistant IncFII plasmids (pC15-1a, pEK499, pKF3-140-like). The low ability to adhere and to grow as biofilm that was detected in this study suggests unknown mechanisms for the persistence of this clonal group which need to be further explored.