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A Murine Model of Group B Streptococcus Vaginal Colonization
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A Murine Model of Group B Streptococcus Vaginal Colonization

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Serotype IV and invasive group B Streptococcus disease in neonates, Minnesota, USA, 2000-2010

Patricia Ferrieri1, Ruth Lynfield, Roberta Creti

  • 1Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Minnesota Medical School, University of Minnesota Hospital, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA. ferri002@umn.edu

Emerging Infectious Diseases
|May 1, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Group B Streptococcus (GBS) causes serious infant infections. Monitoring GBS serotype IV is crucial, as its emergence and antibiotic resistance may impact prevention strategies for invasive GBS disease.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Neonatal Health

Background:

  • Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is a leading cause of invasive neonatal disease in the U.S.
  • Surveillance data from Minnesota (2000-2010) identified 449 GBS isolates from infants with early-onset (EO) and late-onset (LO) disease.
  • Serotypes III and Ia were predominant, but a rise in serotype IV was observed.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the characteristics of emerging serotype IV Group B Streptococcus (GBS) isolates.
  • To assess the genetic diversity and antimicrobial resistance patterns of serotype IV GBS.
  • To inform GBS prevention strategies through monitoring serotype prevalence.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of 449 GBS isolates from infants in Minnesota (2000-2010).
  • Characterization of isolates by capsular polysaccharide serotype and surface-protein profile.
  • Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) for genetic analysis of serotype IV isolates.
  • Antimicrobial resistance testing for clindamycin and erythromycin.

Main Results:

  • Serotypes III and Ia were most common overall.
  • A concerning increase in serotype IV GBS was noted, particularly in early-onset cases in 2010.
  • Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis identified 3 distinct profiles among 12 serotype IV isolates.
  • Multilocus sequence typing identified a novel sequence type (ST-468) within serotype IV.
  • Four out of five tested serotype IV isolates exhibited resistance to clindamycin or erythromycin.

Conclusions:

  • The emergence of serotype IV GBS in Minnesota warrants attention.
  • Genetic diversity and emerging antibiotic resistance in serotype IV GBS pose potential challenges to current prevention strategies.
  • Continuous monitoring of GBS serotype prevalence is essential for adapting public health interventions.
Keywords:
CPSGBSMinnesotaUnited Statesantimicrobial resistancebacteriacapsular polysaccharideclindamycin resistanceearly-onset GBS diseasegroup B Streptococcusinvasive GBS diseaselate-onset GBS diseaseneonatal GBS diseaseneonatesprophylaxisserotypeserotype IVstreptococci

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