Streptococcus agalactiae Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

2025, Annales de Biologie Clinique

L'identification rapide et précise des agents infectieux est primordiale pour guider l'antibiothérapie. Les géloses chromogènes ont été proposées pour rendre l'isolement et l'identification des bactéries plus rapides et plus aisés. Notre étude a eu pour but de comparer deux géloses chromogènes, la gélose CPS ID3® et l'UriSelect4®, par rapport à la méthode en utilisation routinière dans l'isolement et l'identification des germes impliqués dans les infections urinaires. Cette étude prospective menée au laboratoire de biologie de l'Institut de nutrition de Tunis en mai 2018, a inclus 301 échantillons urinaires. Les isolats des milieux de routine ont été identifiés à l'aide des galeries API®. Les isolats provenant de milieux chromogènes ont été identifiés sur la base de la coloration des colonies indiquée par le fabricant. Nous avons obtenu plus de cultures positives et monomorphes avec l'Uriselect4® et le milieu CPS ID3®. Les milieux chromogènes ont permis un meilleur isolement d'Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Citrobacter koseri, Morganella morganii et Streptococcus agalactiae. L'Uriselect4® était supérieur au CPS ID3® en termes de sensibilité et de spécificité de l'identification présomptive de la plupart des uropathogènes isolés. L'identification des germes a été en avance de 24h par rapport à la méthode classique dans 63 % des cas avec le milieu CPS ID3®, et dans 77,7 % des cas avec l'Uriselect4®. Les milieux chromogènes ont permis un meilleur isolement des germes impliqués dans les infections urinaires avec une identification présomptive rapide, facile et précise, en particulier avec l'Uriselect4®.

2025, Fish & Shellfish Immunology

Senegalese sole cultures are frequently affected by Vibrio harveyi disease outbreaks. Vaccines in aquaculture are one of the most successful methods of preventing fish pathologies; however, these vaccines are usually composed of inactivated whole cells containing a wide pool of antigens, and some do not induce any protection against pathogens. Thus, the aim of this study was to identify immunogenic proteins of V. harveyi involved in the specific antibody production by Senegalese sole. S. senegalensis specimens were immunized, by intraperitoneal injection, with V. harveyi bacterin supplemented with inactivated extracellular polymeric substances (ECP) and Freund incomplete adjuvant to obtain polyclonal antiserum. One month later, specimens were re-inoculated with the same antigens. Sera from immunized fish were collected two months post first immunization. Strong specific immune response to V. harveyi antigens was detected by ELISA using bacterin (limit dilutions of sera were 1:64000), ECP (1:4000) and outer membrane proteins (OMP) (1:4000) as antigens. Presence of immunogenic proteins in V. harveyi ECP and OMP were determined by 2D-PAGE. For Western Blot analysis some gels were transferred onto nitrocellulose membranes and incubated with sera from S. senegalensis specimens immunized against V. harveyi. 2D-PAGE and Western Blot showed at least five reactive proteins in the ECP and two in the OMP fraction. The spots that clearly reacted with the sole antiserum were excised from stained gel, and analyzed by mass spectrometry (MALDI/TOFTOF). A database search was then performed, using MASCOT as the search method. According to the results, the five ECP spots were identified as Maltoporine, protein homologous to Metal dependent phosphohydrolase, two porins isoforms of V. harveyi and a protein homologous to the cell division protein FtsH. Reactive proteins in the OMP fraction were identified as the protein 3-hydroxyisobutyrate dehydrogenase and a protein homologous to acid phosphatase.

2025, Iranian journal of public health

Neisseria meninigitidis is one of the most frequently encountered microorganisms associated with central nervous system infections. The aim of this study was to evaluate a PCR-based assay for specific and rapid detection of N. meninigitidis in CSF specimens. Since April 2002 to July 2006, 130 CSF specimens were collected from patients suspected of having bacterial meningitis. Bacterial isolation and identification was carried out according to the standard bacteriological methods. The PCR was used to amplify a 101bp fragment of capsular transport gene A (ctrA) of N. meningitidis. PCR yielded an amplified product with the expected size of 101 base pair fragment. Sensitivity test proved 500 ng of N. meningitidis DNA as the final detection limit and specificity test revealed no cross-reaction for a wide range of respiratory pathogenic organisms. The PCR assay was more sensitive than the bacterial culturing. It might be possible to apply this procedure for rapid diagnosis of meningococci...

2025, The Journal of Pediatrics

2025, Interdisciplinary perspectives on infectious diseases

Implantation of joint prostheses is becoming increasingly common, especially for the hip and knee. Infection is considered to be the most devastating of prosthesis-related complications, leading to prolonged hospitalization, repeated surgical intervention, and even definitive loss of the implant. The main risk factors to periprosthetic joint infections (PJIs) are advanced age, malnutrition, obesity, diabetes mellitus, HIV infection at an advanced stage, presence of distant infectious foci, and antecedents of arthroscopy or infection in previous arthroplasty. Joint prostheses can become infected through three different routes: direct implantation, hematogenic infection, and reactivation of latent infection. Gram-positive bacteria predominate in cases of PJI, mainly Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis. PJIs present characteristic signs that can be divided into acute and chronic manifestations. The main imaging method used in diagnosing joint prosthesis infections is X...

2025, Clinical Infectious Diseases

The burden of neonatal GBS has remained unchanged over the last 19 years despite national antenatal and postnatal initiatives. The significant decline in mortality is likely due to rapid advances on the NICU, including administering... more

2025, Microbiologia Medica

Microbiologia M e d i c a 194 mente per MRSA il "gold standard" della caratterizzazione è rappresentato dalla PFGE, una tecnica complessa e di non rapida esecuzione. In questo studio abbiamo confrontato i risultati di tipizzazione con PFGE con l'analisi del polimorfismo del gene spa. Tale gene, codificante per la proteina A di superficie, possiede una regione polimorfica X formata da un numero variabile di repeats di 24 bp. Metodi. 80 ceppi di MRSA, isolati all'Ospedale di Padova, furono identificati tradizionalmente e con API ID32 staph. I profili di antibiotico-resistenza furono tracciati utilizzando Vitek -2. Saggi di PCR furono allestiti per evidenziare il gene mecA e per la tipizzazione del polimorfismo del gene spa (seguita da determinazione delle dimensioni degli ampliconi). I profili di PFGE furono ottenuti, dopo digestione con Sma I, alle seguenti condizioni: 6 V/cm, 22 ore, 14°C, tempi di switch 5-35s, angolo 120°. Risultati. Tutti i ceppi MRSA da noi esaminati erano mecA positivi e multiresistenti. Tra gli 11 antibiotipi osservati quello predominante (resistente a beta-lattamici, eritromicina, gentamicina, tetraciclina, chinoloni, rifampicina) comprendeva il 55% degli isolati. Dall'analisi della regione X del gene spa si individuavano 9 tipi di ampliconi, con dimensioni variabili da 226 a 418 bp. Il tipo con amplicone di 418 bp comprendeva il maggior numero di ceppi simili o correlati, in base all'analisi eseguita mediante PFGE. Conclusioni. L'esame del polimorfismo degli ampliconi del gene spa appare utile come screening preliminare di ceppi di MRSA potenzialmente correlati, che devono essere poi esaminati mediante PFGE, a scopo epidemiologico.

2025, Biodiversitas

. Molecular determination of the microbial diversity associated with vaginitis and testing their sensitivity to selected antimicrobials. Biodiversitas 24: 4253-4261. Millions of women suffer from bacterial vaginitis is associated with several serious health problems. The present study aimed to investigate the microbial diversity and their sensitivity to different antimicrobial agents. Bacterial isolates were identified by genotyping using the 16S rRNA gene sequencing and BLASTn analysis, while conventional mycological methods identified Candida spp. The disc diffusion method was used to study the antimicrobial susceptibility patterns. The molecular identification showed that Escherichia coli (20.8%) and Staphylococcus haemolyticus (20.8%) were the most frequent species, followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae (16.7%). At the same time, Macrococcus caseolyticus, Streptococcus agalactiae, Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus cereus were the least prevalent bacteria (4.16%)-all Candida sp. against the selected antimicrobial agents. Thus, molecular assays are important in monitoring microorganisms associated with vaginitis. Prospective genotyping studies are needed to determine these microbes' resistant genes and understand their mode of action and response to drug therapy.

2025, European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology

Few patients (0.6%) experienced a serious ADR (iron isomaltoside: dyspnoea, pruritic rash, syncope; iron sucrose: anaphylaxis). Four percent of iron sucrose and 3% of iron isomaltoside patients withdrew from the trial due to adverse events (not significant). The safety findings were consistent across the different causes of IDA. In this trial significantly more IDA patients experienced hematologic response with iron isomaltoside and had a faster response than iron sucrose when treating a broad range of underlying causes of IDA. The safety profile of both treatments was comparable and well tolerated.

2025

Introduction:Streptococci are diverse group of gram-positive bacteria which causes serious life-threatening infections in developed as well as developing nations. Group B Streptococcus (GBS) or Streptococci agalactiae is one of the serologically distinct species of genus streptococcus which colonizes genitourinary and lower gastrointestinal tracts of female populations. GBS is a causative agent of various infections in new-born, non-pregnant adults and pregnant women. Understanding antibiotic resistance profiling will provide insight into the development of antibiotic prophylaxis against GBS infection. The aim of this study was to determine biofilm forming ability, presence of virulence genes and antibiotic susceptibility pattern of GBS clinical isolates.Methods: Previously, identified 30 GBS isolates were used to check antibiotic susceptibility and resistance by Kirby-Bauer disk-diffusion method. All GBS isolates were subjected to biofilm detection using the Congo Red Agar (CRA) an...

2025, Sains Malaysiana

Incidence of streptococcosis, parasitic infestation and Tilapia Lake Virus (TiLV) outbreaks in tilapia aquaculture were reported worldwide, affecting the production and poses a significant threat to sustainable aquaculture. There is limited information on genetically improved farmed tilapia (GIFT) strain with regard to its susceptibility against these diseases. Thus, eight months of farm-level epidemiology surveillance was conducted at a private tilapia farm from August 2017 to March 2018, to determine the prevalence of bacterial, parasite and TiLV in GIFT cage-culture. Throughout the study, a total of 205 tilapias were sampled and subjected to bacteriology, parasitology, and TiLV detection. Water quality parameters, fish weight and length, and associated clinical signs were noted. Mortality of cultured GIFT was recorded at 24.8% from initial stocking, where high mortality was observed in early four months of the culture period. Low prevalence of Streptococcus agalactiae (10.3%) was detected throughout the sampling period. S. agalactiae was successfully isolated in September (32%), October (4%), December (4%) and March (28%). Among other bacteria species that were isolated include Aeromonas hydrophila (4.6%), Staphylococcus spp. (5.1%) and Plesiomonas shigelloides (1.7%). Low prevalence (4-12%) of Cichlidogyrus spp. and Trichodina spp. was also observed during post-mortem. Reverse Transcriptase-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) analysis on all pooled sample of the liver, spleen, and brain showed negative TiLV reaction. This finding suggests that the localized risk in GIFT culture is minimal. However, much attention should be directed to reduce the severity of factors affecting fish health.

2025

One hundred and sixty fingerlings and 80 adult tilapias were experimentally infected with Streptococcus agalactiae and Stapylococcus aureus to determine their LDso. Four concentrations of Streptococcus agalactiae (109, 108,107, 106 CFU/mL) were used in this experimental infection. These tilapias were divided into 4 groups of 40 fingerlings and 20 adults per group. Groups 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the fingerlings were exposed to 109, 10,107, 106 CFU/mL of S. agalactiae by immersion in 2 L inoculum solution for 20 min. Similarly, the adult groups were exposed to the same concentrations of S. agalactiae but by intraperitoneal injection at the rate of 1 mL of the inoculum per gram. Similar procedures were repeated using exposure to Staphylococcus aureus alone or a combination of S. agalactiae and S. aureus. All test groups were observed for signs of infections. On Day 7 post-infection (pi), all fish that were still alive were humanely killed. The LDso of the adult tilapia that were exposed to S....

2025, BMC Veterinary Research

Background: Streptococcosis is an important disease of tilapia throughout the world. In Malaysia, streptococcosis outbreak was commonly reported during the 3-month period of high water temperature between April and July. This study describes the duration of protection following single and double booster dose regimes against streptococcosis in tilapia using a feed-based vaccine containing formalin-killed Streptococcus agalactiae. A total of 510 tilapias of 120 ± 10 g were selected and divided into 3 groups. Fish of Group 1 were vaccinated at weeks 0 and 2 (single booster group) while fish of Group 2 were vaccinated at weeks 0, 2 and 6 (double booster group) with a feed-based vaccine against streptococcosis. Fish of Group 3 was not vaccinated. Serum samples were collected weekly to determine the antibody level while samples of eye, brain and kidney were collected for bacterial isolation. At week 10, all fish were challenged with live S. agalactiae and the survival rate was determined. Results: Both vaccinated groups showed significant (p < 0.05) increase in the antibody levels following the first booster dose, which lasted until week 6. Group 2 showed consistent high level of antibody following the second booster dose at week 6 and remained high until week 12. Challenge trial at week 10 resulted in 45 %, 70 % and 0 % rate of survival for Groups 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Conclusion: Double booster regime is most suitable to be applied for feed-based vaccination against streptococcosis prior to the start of the hot season.

2025, Pertanika J. Trop. …

Vaccination of fish by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection and bath immersion against bacterial infections has been proven to be a commercial success. However, those routes of vaccination are not economical in practice due to several reasons such as high labour cost, highly time consuming, and causing stress to the fish. Meanwhile, oral vaccination is considered as the best route to vaccinate the fish due to less stress to the fish, ability to treat large batch at one time, and easy and practical to administer booster vaccination. In this study, effect of oral vaccination with various regimes in stimulating gut-associated lymphoid tissues (GALTs) against Streptococcus agalactiae infection was observed. In this vaccination experiments, four groups of fish with four replicates consisting of 15 tilapias each were used; four groups per treatment received antigen incorporated vaccine in different regimes. Group 1 was fed with vaccine once per week, Group 2 was fed three consecutive days per week, and Group 3 was fed five consecutive days per week, while Group 4 (control) was fed with standard commercial feed. Booster dose was administered at day-14 after the first administration, and humanely killed at day-28 post-booster vaccination. Ten fish from each group were collected for gut sampling and subjected for histological analysis using Olympus FIVE Image Analyzer. Aggregations of GALTs were observed in lamina propria of the gut. The sizes of GALTs were measured and the numbers of lymphoid cells were also counted. The diameter of GALTs showed no significant (p>0.05) difference between Groups 1 to Group 2 and Group 2 to Group 3, but a significant difference (p<0.05) was observed between Groups 1 and 3. In terms of the numbers of lymphoid cells, no significant differences (p>0.05) were found between Group 1 to Group 2 and Group 2 to Group 3; however, a significant difference (p<0.05) was observed between Groups 1 and Group 3. As a conclusion, the frequencies of administration play a role in stimulating the size of GALT which is correlated with the number of aggregated lymphoid cells in the gastrointestinal tract of tilapia.

2025

Streptococcosis is an important bacterial disease in tilapia in many countries, including Malaysia. The two common Streptococcus species causing the disease are S. aga/actiae and S. iniae. In Malaysia, outbreaks of streptococcosis in red tilapia (Oreochromis spp.) were due to Streptoccoccus aga/actiae while infection by Streptococcus iniae has never been reported. Mass mortalities among red tilapia in cage-culture system were reported to occur usually during the dry months of the year, between April and August when water temperature was high.

2025, Al-ʻulūm al-ṣaydalāniyyaẗ

An analysis of 64 samples of (blood, vagina, anaus) from pregnant mothers and their neonates, only 58 samples showed these types of bacteria Streptococcus agalactiae(GBS), Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, distributed as: 16 blood isolates from mothers and 25 from neonates, while 13 vaginal isolates from mothers and 4 anal isolates from neonates. Bacterial components (phospholipids-PL) purified by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), and identified as Cardiolipin (CL) with retention time (10.76 min.), Phosphatidylserine (PS) (8.1min.), and Phosphatidyl ethanolamine (PE) (5.9 min.) compared with standard PL. GBS isolates produced more extracellular phospholipids than other types in this study. The three types of bacteria differed in their levels of virulence when injected intratracheally in to a neonatal rabbit model to determine whether they induced pulmonary hypertension in it. After 8 days the rates of surviving neonatal rabbits were 2/15 (13.33%) to GBS, 5/15 to E.coli (33.33%), and 7/15 (46.66%) to S.aureus. The recognition that bacterial phospholipids may cause respiratory distress in newborns with these kinds of bacteria opens new avenues for therapeutic intervention.

2025, Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology

Background: There are no Italian data regarding the strategies for preventing neonatal group B streptococcal (GBS) infection. We conducted a national survey in order to explore obstetrical, neonatal and microbiological practices for the GBS prevention. Methods: Three distinct questionnaires were sent to obstetricians, neonatologists and microbiologists. Questionnaires included data on prenatal GBS screening, maternal risk factors, intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis, microbiological information concerning specimen processing and GBS antimicrobial susceptibility. Results: All respondent obstetrical units used the culture-based screening approach to identify women who should receive intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis, and more than half of the microbiological laboratories (58%) reported using specimen processing consistent with CDC guidelines. Most neonatal units (89 out of 107, 82%) reported using protocols for preventing GBS early-onset sepsis consistent with CDC guidelines. Conclusions: The screening-based strategy is largely prevalent in Italy, and most protocols for preventing GBS early-onset sepsis are consistent with CDC guidelines. However, we found discrepancies in practices among centers that may reflect the lack of Italian guidelines issued by public health organizations.

2025, Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy

Our results are demonstrated in Table . E. coli, S. marcescens and Enterobacter spp. isolates were inhibited at MIC values of 1, 2 and 2 mg/L, respectively. For K. pneumoniae, MIC 50 and MIC 90 values of tigecycline were 0.25 and 2 mg/L, respectively. The Etest results were confirmed by the broth microdilution method. According to US Food and Drug Administration recommendation for tigecycline (susceptible 2 mg/L and resistant 8 mg/L), all isolates were susceptible and only one (1%) K. pneumoniae strain displayed an intermediate MIC of 4 mg/L. When the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing breakpoint criteria (susceptible 1 mg/L and resistant .2 mg/L) were used, the percentage of tigecycline susceptibility decreased. Only 4 (31%) Enterobacter spp. and 78 (89%) K. pneumoniae isolates tested were susceptible. Furthermore, all S. marcescens were characterized as intermediate. 1,2 The isolates collected in this study were broadly resistant to b-lactams, fluoroquinolones and variably to aminoglycosides. Currently, multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria remain the most problematic pathogens worldwide, especially in intensive care units. Carbapenem antibiotics were important agents for the management of those infections. Over the past few years, the progressive increase in carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative non-fermentative bacilli as well as the spread of genes encoding carbapenem-hydrolysing enzymes in enterobacterial species is of great concern, leaving limited choices for therapeutic regimens. 5 Tigecycline was active against MBL-producing members of the family Enterobacteriaceae, inhibiting 99% of them at a concentration of 2 mg/L. A recent study demonstrated that tigecycline was effective against multiresistant K. pneumoniae strains producing Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC), an ESBL belonging to molecular class A enzymes with activity against carbapenems. 6 In addition, it was active against clinical isolates possessing bla VIM , but the number of MBL producers tested was small. 3 Our results confirm the in vitro activity of tigecycline against Enterobacteriaceae possessing carbapenemases. Its broad-spectrum activity combined with its stability against common resistance mechanisms and the lack of crossresistance with other classes of antibiotics 1,2 make tigecycline a therapeutic agent for the treatment of infection caused by multiresistant microorganisms. However, the in vitro results require support from clinical studies.

2025, Journal of Clinical Microbiology

Group B streptococcus (GBS) capsular serotypes are major determinants of virulence and affect potential vaccine coverage. Here we report a whole-genome-sequencing-based method for GBS serotype assignment. This method shows strong agreement (kappa of 0.92) with conventional methods and increased serotype assignment (100%) to all 10 capsular types.

2025, The Lancet

Background Group B streptococcus is a leading cause of serious infection in young infants in many countries worldwide. We aimed to define the burden and clinical features of invasive group B streptococcal disease in infants younger than 90 days in the UK and Ireland, together with the characteristics of disease-causing isolates. Methods Prospective, active national surveillance of invasive group B streptococcal disease in infants younger than 90 days was done from April 1, 2014, to April 30, 2015, through the British Paediatric Surveillance Unit, microbiology reference laboratories, and national public health agencies in the UK and Ireland. Early onset was defined as disease in the first 6 days of life and late onset was defined as 7-89 days of life. Incidence was calculated using livebirths in 2014 (after adjustment for the 13-month surveillance period). Isolates were characterised by serotyping, multilocus sequence typing, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Findings 856 cases of group B streptococcus were identified in 2014-15, an incidence of 0•94 per 1000 livebirths (95% CI 0•88-1•00). Incidence for early-onset disease (n=517) was 0•57 per 1000 livebirths (95% CI 0•52-0•62), and for late-onset disease (n=339) was 0•37 per 1000 livebirths (0•33-0•41). 53 infants died (case fatality rate 6•2%), of whom 27 had early-onset disease (case fatality rate 5•2%) and 26 had late-onset disease (case fatality rate 7•7%). The predominant serotypes were III (241 [60%] of 402 serotyped isolates) and Ia (69 [17%]); five serotypes (Ia, Ib, II, III, V) accounted for 377 (94%) of all serotyped isolates. Interpretation The incidence of invasive infant group B streptococcal disease in the UK and Ireland has increased since a comparable study done in 2000-01. The burden of early-onset disease has not declined despite the introduction of national prevention guidelines. New strategies for prevention are required. Funding Meningitis Now.

2025, Infectious Diseases in Obstetrics and Gynecology

Objective: Comparison of the incidence and case fatality of early-onset group B streptococcus sepsis and sepsis caused by other pathogens in neonates after change of management of intrauterine infection. Methods: All infants delivered from 1988 through 1997 at a gestational age -> 24 weeks with a birth weight -> 500 gram without lethal congenital abnormalities were eligible for inclusion. Infants delivered by cesarean section before the onset of labor or rupture of membranes were excluded. During the first period (1988-1991) intrauterine infection was diagnosed by a temperature > 38C, during the second period (1992-1997) this diagnosis was made at a lower temperature (-> 37.8C) or by fetal tachycardia -> 160/min. Treatment of intrauterine infection was similar during both periods with 3 x 2 gram amoxicillin and 1 x 240 mg gentamicin every 24 hours intravenously during labor. Prophylactic treatment during labor was only given to women with a history of an earlier infant with early-onset group B streptococcus sepsis. Results: During the first period 6,103 infants were included, during the second period 8,504. Intrauterine infection was diagnosed and treated more often in the second period (7.1% vs. 2.6%). The incidence of early-onset group B streptococcus sepsis was significantly lower in the second period than in the first period [0.2% vs. 0.4%; OR 0.5 (0.3-0.9)] and survival without disability higher [80% vs. 52%; OR 4.5 (1.4-16.5)]. However, in both periods the overall incidence of neonatal sepsis (3.6% vs. 3.5%) and overall mortality because of sepsis (14.3% vs.13.1%) were similar. Conclusions: Although the early detection of clinical signs of intrauterine infection might have been effective for the prevention of serious sequelae of early-onset group B streptococcus sepsis the overall incidence and mortality from neonatal sepsis remained unchanged. Evaluation of preventive measures for early-onset group B streptococcus sepsis should always take the incidence of neonatal sepsis caused by other pathogens into account. Infect. Dis.

2025, Vojnosanitetski pregled

Introduction. Infectious diseases caused by Streptococcus pyogenes, a member of the group A Streptococci (GAS) are among the most common life threatening ones. Patients with GAS infections have a poor survival rate. Cellulitis is a severe invasive GAS infection and the most common clinical presentation of the disease associated with more deaths than it can be seen in other GAS infections. According to the literature data, most cases of GAS toxic shock syndrome are developed in the puerperium. However, there are two main problems with GAS infection in early puerperium and this case report is aimed at reminding on them. The first problem is an absence of awareness that it can be postpartal invasive GAS infection before the microbiology laboratory confirms it, and the second one is that we have little knowledge about GAS infection, in general. Case report. A 32- year-old healthy woman, gravida 1, para 1, was hospitalized three days after vaginal delivery with a 38-hour history of fever...

2025, Genetics and Molecular Research

Streptococcus agalactiae (Lancefield group B; group B streptococci) is a major pathogen that causes meningoencephalitis ©FUNPEC-RP www.funpecrp.com.br Genetics and Molecular Research 12 (3): 2902-2912 (2013) Prediction of vaccine targets in Streptococcus agalactiae in fish, mastitis in cows, and neonatal sepsis and meningitis in humans. The available prophylactic measures for conserving human and animal health are not totally effective and have limitations. Effective vaccines against the different serotypes or genotypes of pathogenic strains from the various hosts would be useful. We used an in silico strategy to identify conserved vaccine candidates in 15 genomes of group B streptococci strains isolated from human, bovine, and fish samples. The degree of conservation, subcellular localization, and immunogenic potential of S. agalactiae proteins were investigated. We identified 36 antigenic proteins that were conserved in all 15 genomes. Among these proteins, 5 and 23 were shared only by human or fish strains, respectively. These potential vaccine targets may help develop effective vaccines that will help prevent S. agalactiae infection.

2025, Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal

The incidence and outcome of group B streptococcal (GBS) sepsis were assessed prospectively between September 2011 and February 2015 in all tertiary care pediatric hospitals of Switzerland. We describe a low incidence of GBS early-onset sepsis (0.12/1000 livebirths) and a predominance of GBS late-onset sepsis (0.36/1000 livebirths), a pattern that has not been reported in other countries.

2025, Aquaculture

Some studies have demonstrated that xanthine oxidase activity, through the regulation of uric acid levels, exerts a pro-inflammatory profile during infectious diseases. It has been recognized that uric acid induces the release of pro-inflammatory mediators, such as reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO), which contribute to inflammatory processes. Considering this, the aim of this study was to evaluate whether upregulation of branchial xanthine oxidase activity may be considered a pathway involved in ROS and nitric oxide (NOx) metabolites production in experimentally infected Rhamdia quelen (silver catfish) with Streptococcus agalactiae. Xanthine oxidase activity, and uric acid, ROS and NOx levels increased in gills of infected animals compared to uninfected animals. Moreover, a positive Pearson correlation was observed between uric acid and ROS levels, and between uric acid and NOx levels. Histopathology revealed the presence of necrosis, hyperplasia and vein congestion in gills of animals infected with S. agalactiae. Based on this evidence, the upregulation of xanthine oxidase activity induces a pro-inflammatory and oxidative profile in the gills of fish infected with S. agalactiae. The excessive uric acid levels induce the release of pro-inflammatory mediators, such as ROS and NOx, which contribute to disease pathogenesis. In summary, the upregulation of xanthine oxidase activity may be considered a pathway involved in ROS and NOx production.

2025

Serum antirabies ( S A R ) yang diproduksi pada kuda, disebut antibodi 1 (Abl) digunakan sebagai antgigen untuk mengimunisasi ayam. Imunoglobulin ayam (IgY) yang bereaksi sccara khas dengan Abl. merupakan antibodi anti-idiotipe dan selanjutnya disebut sebagai Ab2. Ab2 dipanen dari darah ayam setiap nlinggu selama 10 minggu. Titer Ab2 tertingp diperoleh pada minggu ketiga dan keempat pasca vaksinasi. Pemurnian IgY (Ab2) dilakukan melalui pengendapan dengan amonium sulfat jenuh konsentrasi 60% dan 50%, dilanjutkan dengan dialisis meng~wnakan PBS pH 8 , O selama 24 jam pada suhu 2 -8 "C. Pemurnian tahap berikutnya dilakukan dengan kolom krornatografi afinitas spesifik terhadap IgY, menghasilkan protein dengan berat molckul185.000,95.000 dan 49.000 dalton. Sebanyak 3 ekor kelinci New Zealand White diimunisasi dengar1 Ab2 dan 3 ekor kelinci lainnya sebagai kelompok kontrol. Antibodi anti-Ab2 dalam serum kelinci, selanjutnya disebut Ab3, diperiksa dengan teknik Agar Grl Presipitntio~z Test (AGIyr) dan uji AGPT menunjukkan bahwa Ah3 mengenali secara homolog Ab2 dan virus rabies. Uapat disimpulkan, bahwa antiboch anti-idiotipe (AWL) dapat menginduksi respon imun Ab3 gang mengenali antigen virus, sehingga terdapat kemungkinan antibodi anti-idiotipc (Ab2) digunakan sebagai antigen pengganti untuk in~unisasi anti-rabies.

2025

The aim of this report is to describe a rare case of necrotizing pneumonia due to group B Streptococcus serotype III in a relatively young male adult (48 years old) suffering from diabetes. The organism was isolated from his pleural fluid and was only resistant to tetracycline. The patient first received ceftazidime (2 g/8 h i.v.) + clindamycin (300 mg/8 h) for 18 days and then he was discharged home and orally treated with amoxicillin clavulanic acid (1 g/12 h) for 23 days with an uneventful evolution. As in the cases of invasive infection by Streptococcus pyogenes, clindamycin could prevent streptococcal toxic shock syndrome.El objetivo de esta presentación es describir un caso raro de neumonía necrosante debida a estreptococo del grupo B serotipo iii en un diabético adulto de sexo masculino relativamente joven (48 anos). ˜ El microorganismo fue aislado de líquido pleural y resultó ser resistente solo a tetraciclina. El paciente recibió ceftacidima (2 g/8 h iv) + clindamicina (300...

2025

Distintos autores difieren en la mayor o menor prevalencia de las infecciones urinarias (IU) por Streptococcus agalactiae y Staphylococcus saprophyticus en mujeres embarazadas (ME) y no embarazadas (NE). Se realizó un estudio retrospectivo, comparativo, de cohortes con el objetivo de evaluar la frecuencia de IU por S. agalactiae y S. saprophyticus en ME asintomáticas pertenecientes a centros de atención primaria de la salud del Municipio de La Plata (CAPS) entre 2008 y 2016 y se la comparó con la de NE sintomáticas en edad fértil, no internadas, que asistieron al Hospital “San Roque” (HSR) entre 2014 y 2017. Se procesaron 2.378 orinas de ME que concurrieron a las CAPS. De ese total, 201 fueron positivas (8,5%), el 10,4% de las mismas (n: 21) correspondieron a S. agalactiae y el 10,0% a S. saprophyticus (n: 20). En el 54% se aisló Escherichia coli. El total de urocultivos en la población de NE fue de 2.281 y 526 fueron positivos (23,1%): 7 correspondieron a S. agalactiae (1,3%), 18 a...

2025, The Journal of Infection in Developing Countries

Introduction: Streptococcus agalactiae (group B streptococcus, GBS) is a recognized urinary pathogen both in males and pregnant or non-pregnant women. Data regarding GBS serotypes recovered from urinary tract infections (UTIs) are scarce. The aim of this study was to describe the clinical and microbiological characteristics of UTIs caused by GBS in adult patients in Argentina. Methodology: A prospective multicenter study involving 86 centers was conducted in Argentina between July 1st, 2014 and June 30th, 2015. Antimicrobial susceptibility and serotype distribution of GBS isolated from the urinary tract of adult patients were determined. Susceptibility tests were performed by the disk diffusion and/or agar dilution methods. Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of the patients were considered to identify associated comorbilities. Results: Seven hundred and one GBS were sent to the reference laboratory in the above mentioned period, however, only 211 fulfilled our selection cr...

2025, HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe)

Antibiotic resistance was 68.2% (343/503) for ampicillin, 1.2% (6/482) for ciprofloxacin (or 58.1% (280/482) if both intermediate and resistant phenotypes are considered), 17.0% (87/ 512) for trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, and 12.2% (59/484) for third-generation cephalosporins (cefotaxime or ceftazidime). Multidrug resistance was seen in 99/516 isolates (19.2%). The NTS isolates causing bloodstream infections in rural Thailand are commonly resistant to ampicillin, cefotaxime, and TMP-SMX. Observed differences between NP and SK indicate that serogroup distribution and antibiotic resistance may substantially differ throughout Thailand and the region.

2025, Asian Journal of Biotechnology and Bioresource Technology

Aim: This research aims to report the genome sequence of Pandoraea pnomenusa GXDRC_01 isolated from a pregnant woman, from western India.

2025, NASCER E CRESCER - BIRTH AND GROWTH MEDICAL JOURNAL

Background: Brachial palsy is a rare condition beyond the neonatal period. Usually it is caused by physical mechanisms, but may be related with osteo-articular infections. There are few cases describing the association between these infections and true nerve paralysis. On the other hand, pseudo-paralysis or apparent weakness of a limb associated with septic arthritis or osteomyelitis is a well-documented phenomenon Case Report: We describe three cases of osteoarticular infection manifested by flaccid limb paralysis without the typical systemic signs of infection. The timing of rcognition differed among the cases, as well as the therapeutic interventions and the outcome. Discussion: Osteo-articular infections may go unrecognized in infancy. We highlight this rare manifestation of osteo-articular infection to avoid the delay in diagnosis and associated sequelae.

2025, Int. J. Biol. Chem. Sci.

Worldwide data show that there is increasing resistance among infection bacteria to conventional drugs. The present study aimed at determining data on susceptibility of bacteria isolated from patient for community acquired infection in Protestant Hospital of Ngaoundere against prescribed antibiotics in case of infections by these bacteria. Bacteriological profile of collected samples (stool, urine, cervico-vaginal and urethral secretion, blood) was carry out by standard method. Antibiotic susceptibility was done by the agar disk diffusion method. A total of 120 samples were collected. Among 46 samples was positive for bacterial infections germs (38% of prevalence). Stomach pain represents the most frequent complaint of patients (33.1%). Enterobacteriaceae were the most isolated (70%) followed by Neisseria gonorrhoeae (15%). About 73.0% of Enterobacteriaceae identified were resistant to ticarcillin while 80% of N. gonorrhoeae to ampicillin. Some of the isolates were resistant to ticarpen (73%), oxacillin (71%) and tobramycin (57%) which are more frequently prescribed and indicates that increased consumption of a particular antibiotic leads to acquisition of resistance. Enterobacteriaceae were predominant bacterial isolated and it is necessary to continue monitoring the consumption of antibiotics to ensure good management of infections.

2025

La colonización del Estreptococo grupo B en la embarazada está relacionada a patologías perinatales, constituyéndose en una causa muy importante de morbi-mortalidad neonatal. De manera a reducir dicha morbi-mortalidad, el Centro de Control y Prevención de Enfermedades Infecciosas de Estados Unidos desarrolló una estrategia que consiste en realizar el cultivo de muestra tanto vaginal como ano-rectal de todas las mujeres entre 35 y 37 semanas de gestación. El objetivo de este trabajo fue determinar la frecuencia de colonización por Estreptococo β hemolítico grupo B en mujeres gestantes entre las 35-37 semanas de embarazo que concurrieron al Hospital Materno-Infantil San Pablo, Centro de Salud Nº 5, desde abril del 2010 a agosto del 2011. Se realizó un estudio con diseño observacional descriptivo de corte transverso. Las muestras fueron tomadas mediante hisopado de introito vaginal y ano-rectal, colocadas en medio de transporte Stuart y remitidas al Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud para el cultivo en agar sangre, previo enriquecimiento en caldo Todd Hewitt. La identificación bacteriana se realizó mediante pruebas bioquímicas convencionales y la confirmación mediante aglutinación con látex. La frecuencia de colonización obtenida fue relativamente alta, de 23,6%. Los resultados de este estudio permiten dimensionar la problemática en nuestro país y evidenciar la necesidad de la implementación de un programa a nivel nacional para la detección del Estreptococo grupo B de forma rutinaria en las embarazadas. De esta manera, se podrá disminuir la morbi-mortalidad perinatal y materna con la administración oportuna del tratamiento profiláctico.

2025, Temas em Saúde

Group B Streptococcus agalactiae (GBS) is an opportunistic pathogen that can colonize the gastrointestinal and genitourinary tracts asymptomatically. An estimated 15 to 40% of pregnant women are colonized with GBS, which can cause meningitis, pneumonia, sepsis, and miscarriages. The ST-17 hypervirulent lineage is responsible for 80% to 95% of neonatal GBS cases. The study aimed to identify and characterize GBS strains isolated from pregnant women and patients and identify the possible circulation of hypervirulent clones by MLST and antimicrobial susceptibility profile. One hundred thirty-four samples isolated from patients and pregnant women in the state of Rio de Janeiro were analyzed, with identity confirmed by a polyphasic approach using qPCR-HRM, Maldi-Tof and CAMP methods. One hundred and thirteen strains of GBS were recovered from 133 clinical samples received at the INCQS/FIOCRUZ laboratory. The strains were isolated from vaginal secretions, urine and recto-vaginal swab of pregnant women or patients with suspected GBS infection. Confirmation of the identity of these strains was performed by three different methods and none of them was sufficient to confirm the species in all strains tested. Overall, qPCR-HRM showed more consistent and reliable results than the other two methods. Antimicrobial susceptibility revealed a considerable number of MDR strains, with a high resistance mainly to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (100%), tetracycline (79%), erythromycin (36%) and azithromycin (32%) representing three different classes of antibiotics. Among the most efficient antibiotics with the lowest resistance rate (≤2%) are beta-lactams (penicillin and ceftriaxone), linezolid, rifampicin, and chloramphenicol, which presents an important therapeutic possibility. Genetic analysis by MLST provided important data on the distribution of the analyzed strains. Six new STs were described, three with an MDR profile. Another strain also with an MDR profile was classified as ST-17. The identification of GBS by conventional methods proved to be inaccurate. The inclusion of one more molecular (qPCR-HRM) or proteomic (MT) method would allow a more precise identification. However, the high initial cost of acquiring MT equipment makes it difficult to use this method. In our study, we found that the use of the conventional CAMP method, combined with qPCR-HRM, would be the best cost-effective choice for a more accurate identification of this Volume 22, Número 2

2025, Revue du Centre de Recherche pour la Promotion de la Santé

Background: Neonatal infection (NI) accounts for 35% of global neonatal deaths, affecting 2-3% of live births, with a mortality rate between 10-30%. Delayed diagnosis and poor socioeconomic conditions exacerbate its impact. Objective: To identify factors associated with NI at the Miti-Murhesa General Referral Hospital (GRHM), South Kivu province in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Material and methods: A retrospective descriptive study with an analytical focus was conducted using the medical records of newborns hospitalized at the GRHM between 1 January and 31 December 2023. A total of 2,764 records of newborns aged 0 to 28 days, hospitalized during the study period, with a complete medical record and a clinical or biological diagnosis of neonatal infection, were extracted for sociodemographic, obstetric, delivery-related, clinical and biological data on the newborn. The manually collected data were entered and processed using Microsoft Excel 2016, and the analysis was performed using SPSS 20 and Epi Info 3.5.1 software. Descriptive statistics: mean ± standard deviation, absolute and relative (%) frequencies were applied for quantitative and qualitative variables respectively, and adjusted odds ratios (OR) with 95%CI were used to identify factors independently associated with neonatal infection, with p<0.05 being retained. Results: The prevalence of NI was 2.31%. Most affected neonates were aged 0-3 days (82.8%), female (64.1%), born at term (71.9%), with a mean birth weight of 3,066 g. Common maternal risk factors included urogenital infections, premature rupture of membranes, and meconial amniotic fluid. Clinical signs included positive CRP, tachypnea, tachycardia, and hyperleukocytosis. Blood cultures were positive in 76.6% of cases, mostly for Escherichia coli. Outcomes were favorable in 82.8% of cases, while 9.4% resulted in death. A history of maternal urogenital infection, premature rupture of membranes, and meconial amniotic fluid status were factors associated with NI (p<0.05). Conclusion: Although less frequent, NI at GRHM is associated with notable morbidity and mortality. This study highlights the need to strengthen the capacities of local healthcare personnel through continuing education and to improve the resources available for neonatal care. Further research, including prospective approaches and microbiological analyses, would be useful to further explore these findings and guide more targeted prevention strategies.

2025, pjlss.edu.pk

Milk production is confronted by a variety of constraints, among these, mastitis is of prime importance. The study was performed to monitor the immune response of formalin inactivated E. coli preparation in rabbits. In order to evolve an... more

2025, Veterinary World

The main objective of this study was to emphasize on histopathological examinations and molecular identification of Streptococcus agalactiae isolated from natural infections in hybrid tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) in Temerloh Pahang, Malaysia, as well as to determine the susceptibility of the pathogen strains to various currently available antimicrobial agents. The diseased fishes were observed for variable clinical signs including fin hemorrhages, alterations in behavior associated with erratic swimming, exophthalmia, and mortality. Tissue samples from the eyes, brain, kidney, liver, and spleen were taken for bacterial isolation. Identification of S. agalactiae was screened by biochemical methods and confirmed by VITEK 2 and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The antibiogram profiling of the isolate was tested against 18 standard antibiotics included nitrofurantoin, flumequine, florfenicol, amoxylin, doxycycline, oleandomycin, tetracycline, ampicillin, lincomycin, colistin sulfate, oxolinic acid, novobiocin, spiramycin, erythromycin, fosfomycin, neomycin, gentamycin, and polymyxin B. The histopathological analysis of eyes, brain, liver, kidney, and spleen was observed for abnormalities related to S. agalactiae infection. The suspected colonies of S. agalactiae identified by biochemical methods was observed as Gram-positive chained cocci, β-hemolytic, and non-motile. The isolate was confirmed as S. agalactiae by VITEK 2 (99% similarity), reconfirmed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing (99% similarity) and deposited in GenBank with accession no. KT869025. The isolate was observed to be resistance to neomycin and gentamicin. The most consistent gross findings were marked hemorrhages, erosions of caudal fin, and exophthalmos. Microscopic examination confirmed the presence of marked congestion and infiltration of inflammatory cell in the eye, brain, kidney, liver, and spleen. Eye samples showed damage of the lens capsule, hyperemic and hemorrhagic choroid tissue, and retina hyperplasia accompanied with edema. Brain samples showed perivascular and pericellular edema and hemorrhages of the meninges. Kidney samples showed hemorrhage and thrombosis in the glomeruli and tubules along with atrophy in hematopoietic tissue. Liver samples showed congestion of the sinusoids and blood vessel, thrombosis of portal blood vessel, and vacuolar (fatty) degeneration of hepatocytes. Spleen samples showed large thrombus in the splenic blood vessel, multifocal hemosiderin deposition, congestion of blood vessels, and multifocal infiltration of macrophages. Therefore, it can be concluded that pathological changes in tissues and organs of fish occur proportionally to the pathogen invasion, and because of their high resistance, neomycin and gentamicin utilization in the prophylaxis or treatment of S. agalactiae infection should be avoided.

2025, Tropical and Subtropical …

Tropical and Subtropical Agroecosystems Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán ccastro@uady.mx ISSN (Versión en línea): 1870-0462 MÉXICO ... 2007 Víctor C. Pech Martínez / Melinda Carvajal Hernández / Rubén Montes Pérez IMPACTO ECONÓMICO DE LA ...

2025, Journal of Medical Screening

Background Group B streptococcus (GBS) is a leading cause of severe infections in newborns. Intrapartum antibiotic chemoprophylaxis (IAP) reduces the rate of early-onset disease. The aim of this study is to determine the degree of clinicians' compliance with the suggested protocol for GBS prevention in Emilia-Romagna (Italy). Methods Characteristics of each delivery were prospectively recorded in the period between October 2005 to December 2005. Standardized pro-forma were used to collect data. Results Among 5118 babies, 7.2% (369) were preterm and 92.3% were born at term (4749). Antenatal screening was performed in 86.6% of women who delivered at term, of which 18.1% were GBS culture-positive. Information regarding culture site was available in 93.2% of women screened and recto-vaginal cultures were documented in 42.7%. IAP was administered to 28.7% of 3937 women at term who had either spontaneous delivery or emergency caesarean section. In this cohort, 15.9% were diagnosed GBS culture-positive, of which 92.6% received IAP. Prophylaxis was also administered to 8.4% (331) of women for no apparent reason. Compared with tertiary level hospitals, women delivering in primary/secondary hospitals were more likely to be both GBS screened (P , 0.0001; OR 3.04; CI 2.33 -3.97) and to receive prophylaxis !4 hours before delivery (P ¼ 0.0025; OR 1.57; CI 1.17 -2.12). Conclusions GBS screening was performed in .85% of women and . 90% of culture-positive women received prophylaxis. However, there is a need to educate clinicians about protocol adherence, as most cultures were suboptimal and cases of unnecessary IAP were administered. The screening was more effective in hospitals with fewer deliveries.

2025, Vaccine

of pregnant women and passive immunization of high-risk infants with hyperimmune GBS globulin derived from vaccinated plasma donors. To explore the feasibility of a program for generating hyperimmune GBS globulin, we evaluated the safety and immunogenicity of a candidate multivalent GBS vaccine containingpurtfiedpolysaccharide from types Ia, Ib, II, and III among subjects most likely to develop an immune response following vaccination, i.e. those with pre-existing antibody to GBS. Thirty volunteers prescreened for serum antibody to type III GBS were immunized with a single subcutaneous injection of vaccine containing either 10, 25, or 50 ,ug of each polysaccharide type (Group 1). An additional ten volunteers prescreenedfor antibody to type Ia were vaccinated with the 50 yg dose (Group 2). Vaccination was generally well tolerated with minor reactions occurring in 27% of subjects. Using a quantitative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). the seroconversion rates (>fourfold rise) and geometric mean antibody concentration (GMC in ,ug IgG ml') 6 weeks after vaccination in Group 1 to type Ia, II, and III were 33% (GMC 5.2), 17% (GMC 3.6), and 70% (GMC 43.4), respectively. Quantitative titers were not available for type Ib, but a fourfold rise in ELISA units was seen in 13% of subjects. In Group 2, seroconversion rates to type Ia and III were 90% (GMC 73.4) and 40% (GMC 22.2), respectively. No signtficant dose-response eflect was detected. Combined analysis of Groups 1 and 2 demonstrated that subjects with prevaccination antibody concentrations >2 ,ug IgG ml-' had sign$cantly higher type-specific antibody concentrations following vaccination compared with subjects possessing lower levels of antibody before immunization. We conclude that our tetravalent GBS polysaccharide vaccine is safe but only modestly immunogenic in healthy seropositive adults. More potent vaccines will be required for public health use.

2025, European Journal of Pediatrics

Invasive group B streptococcal (GBS) infections are common in neonates but are rare after the 1st month of life. It is not known why GBS infections have this age distribution which diers from that of invasive infections caused by other encapsulated bacteria. The aim of this study was to test the possibility that serum antibodies against the GBS capsular polysaccharides (CPS) are acquired during the ®rst months of life thereby preventing infections after the neonatal period. Cord sera were collected from 321 healthy term newborns. A second blood sample was collected at 2, 4, 8, 13 or 26 weeks of age. IgG CPS antibodies (measured by ELISA) against serotypes Ia, II and III were present in 98%±100% of all cord sera and decreased continuously during the ®rst 6 months of life. No IgM antibodies against serotype III CPS were present in cord sera. Only 16%±17% of the children acquired IgM antibodies against serotype III CPS at 3 and 6 months of age. Conclusion Early acquisition of IgG or IgM antibodies against CPS of the most common GBS serotypes was not demonstrated and cannot explain the rare occurrence of invasive GBS infections in children after the 1st month of life. Group B streptococci á Maternal Antibodies á Antibody decline á ELISA Abbreviations CPS capsular polysaccharides á GBS group B streptococcus á Hib Haemophilus in¯uenzae type b á RABA radioactive antigen-binding assay

2025

A cross-sectional study was done to estimate the prevalence and associated risk factors of bovine mastitis from November, 2009 to June, 2010 in Addis Ababa veterinary clinics. Three hundred forty six lactating cows from one commercial and 14 household were included in the study. These 346 lactating cows were subjected to California mastitis test (CMT), 169(48.8%) were mastitis positive, of which 131(37.9%) were sub-clinically affected and 38(10.9%) were clinically affected signifying the importance of sub-clinical case. California mastitis test (CMT) was conducted on milk samples from individual quarters of 1338 quarters examined for prevalence of clinical mastitis (CM), non-functional or blocked quarters and sub clinical mastitis and revealed that 3.4, 3.5 and 47.8%, respectively. Sub-clinical mastitis had highest relative occurrence on cow basis, prevalence of sub clinical mastitis was 131(37.9%) and was higher in cross bred 113(42.8%) than with that of zebu 18 (21.9%), significantly more sub clinical mastitis occurred in parity two and above 91 (41.4%) than those in first parity 40 (31.7%). Therefore, it was concluded that sub clinical mastitis is highly and widely prevalent than clinical mastitis. As it is economically damaging, the need to establish diagnostic facility to be able to early detect and screen large number of samples in emphasized and further work on identification of causative agent is recommended.

2025, Journal of Clinical Microbiology

A 33-primer multiplex PCR-based reverse line blot (mPCR/RLB) assay was developed to identify Streptococcus agalactiae serotypes and surface protein antigen genes simultaneously. It was evaluated by using 551 clinical isolates. The mPCR/RLB assay was more sensitive than conventional serotyping, especially for protein antigen typing, but otherwise the results correlated well.

2025

S. agalactiae infection is one of the most important bacterial diseases imparting mass mortality in the aquaculture sector, worldwide. It is responsible for posing both economic burdens and risks of cross-infectivity and zoonotic transmission. In this aspect, this study examined the virulence gene profiles, molecular serotyping and pathogenicity of S. agalactiae strains isolated from tilapia farms in Kerala, India in 2022. Following sample collection and processing, three S. agalactiae strains (KSA/01, KSA/02, and KSA/03) were isolated and confirmed the bacterial identity using 16S rRNA sequencing. In pathogenicity test, the LD 50 of the S. agalactiae was found to be 1 × 10 6 CFU/ml. An increase in the salinity was found to affect the pathogenicity of S. agalactiae as well as the hematological and serological profile of tilapia. Thus the presence of S. agalactiae, a highly virulent and zoonotic pathogen in tilapia farms, underscores the imperative of continuous monitoring in aquaculture facilities.

2025, PLOS ONE

Intensive tilapia farming has contributed significantly to food security as well as to the emergence of novel pathogens. This includes Streptococcus agalactiae or Group B Streptococcus (GBS) sequence type (ST) 283, which caused the first known outbreak of foodborne GBS illness in humans. An oral, easy-to-administer fish vaccine is needed to reduce losses in fish production and the risk of zoonotic transmission associated with GBS. We conducted a proof-of-concept study to develop an oral vaccine formulation that would only release its vaccine cargo at the site of action, i.e., in the fish gastrointestinal tract, and to evaluate whether it provided protection from experimental challenge with GBS. Formalin-inactivated S. agalactiae ST283, was entrapped within microparticles of Eudragit® E100 polymer using a double-emulsification solvent evaporation method. Exposure to an acidic medium simulating the environment in tilapia stomach showed that the size of the vaccine-loaded microparticles decreased rapidly, reflecting microparticle erosion and release of the vaccine cargo. In vivo studies in tilapia showed that oral administration of vaccine-loaded microparticles to fish provided significant protection from subsequent homologous pathogen challenge with GBS ST283 by immersion compared to the control groups which received blank microparticles or buffer, reducing mortality from 70% to 20%. The high efficacy shows the promise of the vaccine platform developed herein, which might be adapted for other bacterial pathogens and other fish species.

2025

Em diversos países é crescente a proporção de indivíduos suscetíveis à infeção pelo vírus da hepatite A. O conhecimento da seroprevalência VHA numa população é muito importante para a definição de estratégias de controlo da... more

2025, Journal of Infection

Introduction: Streptococcus pneumoniae is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Invasive pneumococcal disease is more likely at the extremes of age and in association with immunocompromise. DOH guidance advises immunisation of specific at-risk groups of adults and from September 2006 routine immunisation of infants with conjugate vaccine was introduced. This study is an analysis of the impact of invasive pneumococcal disease on a 500-bed district general hospital during an 18-month period. Methods: Hospital in-patients with S. pneumoniae isolated from blood cultures were identified from September 2006-February 2008. Case-notes were reviewed for duration of hospital stay, any potential risk factors for invasive infection and the disease outcome. Organisms isolated had full antimicrobial sensitivity testing performed and were serotyped at the Respiratory and Systemic Infection Laboratory, HPA Centre for Infections, Colindale. Results: 39 patients had S. pneumoniae isolated from blood cultures during the study period, of which 3 were children. Two patients had meningitis (one child and one adult), a further adult had septic arthritis and the remainder had respiratory-associated infection. 26 of the 36 adults were >65 years of age. The average length of hospital stay for patients admitted with invasive pneumococcal disease was 10 days and there were 6 deaths attributable to this infection. 35 of 39 isolates were fully susceptible to penicillin and erythromycin. One isolate (serotype 6B) had intermediate sensitivity to penicillin and was resistant to erythromycin, tetracycline and chloramphenicol. Three isolates were identified as resistant to erythromycin only (all serotype 14). The commonest single serotype identified was serotype 1 isolated in six patients (serotype present in the 23-valent but not conjugate vaccine). During the study period a further 45 patients required hospital admission for treatment of pneumonia but S pneumoniae was isolated from sputum cultures only. Conclusion: This local study highlights the importance of S. pneumoniae as a pathogen resulting in significant morbidity, mortality and hospital in-patient treatment. Further work will be presented on the immunisation history of affected patients and serotype of the causative organisms to ascertain the effectiveness of the current immunisation and delivery strategies within the surrounding community.

2025, Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal

Background: Group B streptococci (GBS) may cause life-threatening invasive infections in infants. The incidence of these infections has been increasing during the last decades. The aim of the study was to determine the epidemiology of neonatal GBS infections to be able to implement therapeutic and preventive measures more effectively. Methods: A retrospective case study was conducted in Iceland that included all neonates with positive GBS cultures from blood or cerebrospinal fluid during the period 1975 to 2006. Serotyping of all available GBS isolates was performed. Results: A total of 87 children with 89 infections were included in the study. In all, 53 infants had early-onset (EO) GBS infections (occurring Ͻ7 days after birth) and 34 had late-onset (LO) infections (occurring on days 7-90). EO infections increased during the first 3 quartiles of the study period but decreased during the last quartile. LO infections increased throughout the entire study period. GBS was cultured from cerebrospinal fluid in 21 patients; 9 with EO and 12 with LO infections. Premature infants comprised 15 with EO and 14 with LO infections. Eight children died of GBS infection, 7 with EO and 1 with LO infections; no correlation with serotypes was found. Serotype III was most common for both EO (34%) and LO infections (62%). The number of GBS infections increased during the study period. The decrease in EO infections in recent years could be attributed to intrapartum antibiotic treatment. The increasing number of LO infections is a concern.