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Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is a major cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality. Serbia has not fully implemented preventive measures against GBS neonatal diseases. Therefore, we aimed to assess the maternal GBS colonisation and invasive neonatal disease rate, to reveal the trends of antimicrobial resistance and serotype distribution of GBS from various patient groups. Randomly selected non-invasive (n = 991) and all invasive GBS (n = 80) collected throughout Serbia from 2015 to 2020 were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility, capsular typing, and hvgA detection. Overall, 877/5621 (15.6%) pregnant women were colonised with GBS. Invasive GBS infections incidence in infants (0.18/1000 live births) showed a decreasing trend (0.3 to 0.1/1000 live births). Type III was overrepresented in infants with invasive infections (n = 35, 58.3%), whereas type V predominated among colonised adults (n = 224, 25.5%) and those with noninvasive (n = 37, 32.5%) and invasive infections (n = 8, 40%). The hypervirulent clone III/ST17 was highly associated with invasive infections (n = 28, 35%), particularly late-onset disease (n = 9, 47.4%), showing an increase from 12.3 to 14.8%. The GBS resistance to erythromycin and clindamycin was 26.7% and 22.1%, respectively, with an upward trend. The emergence of the hypervirulent clone III/ST17 and the escalation in GBS resistance highlight an urgent need for continuous monitoring of GBS infections.

This study aimed to evaluate the potential of oral probiotics to eradicate vaginal GBS colonization during the third trimester of pregnancy. We screened 1058 women for GBS colonization at 33–37 gestational weeks using a combination of vaginal-to-rectal swab and culture-based methods. Women who tested GBS positive were randomized to either the verum group, receiving a dietary probiotic supplement of four viable strains of Lactobacillus twice-daily for 14 days, or to the placebo group. Women underwent follow-up smears, whereat GBS colonization upon follow-up was considered the primary endpoint. We found that 215 women (20.3%) were positive for GBS upon screening, of which 82 (38.1%) were eligible for study inclusion; 41 (50%) of these were randomized to the verum and placebo groups each. After treatment, 21/33 (63.6%) members of the verum group, and 21/27 (77.8%) of the placebo group were still GBS positive ( p  = 0.24). Four (9.8%) women in the verum group and one (2.4%) in the placebo group experienced preterm birth ( p  = 0.20); smokers showed significantly higher rates of preterm birth ( p  = 0.03). Hence, the findings did not support the hypothesis that oral probiotics can eradicate GBS during pregnancy, although we observed a trend toward reduced GBS persistence after probiotic intake.

•Largest GBS genome sequence sample of Chinese infants.•Baseline data for GBS surveillance and vaccine impact evaluation. Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in young infants worldwide. This study aimed to investigate candidate GBS vaccine targets, virulence factors, and antimicrobial resistance determinants. We used whole-genome sequencing to characterize invasive GBS isolates from infants < 3 months of age obtained from a multicenter population-based study conducted from 2015 to 2021 in China. Overall, seven serotypes were detected from 278 GBS isolates, four (Ia, Ib, III, V) of which accounted for 97.8 %. We detected 30 sequence types (including 10 novel types) that were grouped into six clonal complexes (CCs: CC1, CC10, CC17, CC19, CC23 and CC651); three novel ST groups in CC17 were detected, and the rate of CC17, considered a hyperinvasive neonatal clone complex, was attached to 40.6 % (113/278). A total of 98.9 % (275/278) of isolates harbored at least one alpha-like protein gene. All GBS isolates contained at least one of three pilus backbone determinants and the pilus types PI-2b and PI-1 + PI-2a accounted for 79.8 % of the isolates. The 112 serotype III/CC17 GBS isolates were all positive for hvgA. Most of the isolates (75.2 %) were positive for serine-rich repeat glycoprotein determinants (srr1or srr2). Almost all isolates possessed cfb (99.6 %), c1IE (100 %), lmb (95.3 %) or pavA (100 %) gene. Seventy-seven percent of isolates harboured more than three antimicrobial resistance genes with 28.4 % (79/278) gyrA quinoloneresistancedeterminants mutation, 83.8 % (233/278) carrying tet cluster genes and 77.3 % (215/278) carrying erm genes which mediated fluoroquinolone, tetracycline and clindamycin resistance, respectively.“ The findings from this large whole-genome sequence of GBS isolates establish important baseline data required for further surveillance and evaluating the impact of future vaccine candidates.

Streptococcus agalactiae (group B streptococcus (GBS)), remains the leading cause of neonatal sepsis and meningitis in many countries and an important cause of disease in pregnant women, immunocompromised adults and the elderly. Intrapartum antibiotic strategies have reduced the incidence of early-onset neonatal GBS where applied, but have had no impact on late onset GBS infection and only a limited impact on disease in pregnant women. In low/middle income settings, the disease burden remains uncertain although in several countries of Southern Africa appears comparable to that of high-income countries. Disease may be rapidly fulminating and cases therefore missed before appropriate samples are obtained. This may lead to significant underestimation of the true burden and be a particular issue in many African and Asian countries; comprehensive epidemiological data from such countries are urgently required. The available data suggest that the serotype distribution of GBS isolates is similar in Africa, Western Pacific, Europe, the Americas and the Eastern Mediterranean regions and has not changed over the past 30 years. Five serotypes (Ia, Ib, II, III, V) account for the majority of disease; conjugate vaccines including some or all of these serotypes therefore hold great promise for preventing this important disease.

Group B Streptococcus (GBS, Streptococcus agalactiae ) is a leading cause of invasive disease in neonates, pregnant women, elderly, and immunocompromised individuals. The epidemiology of invasive GBS disease remains poorly documented in small, isolated populations such as the Faroe Islands. This nationwide study assessed invasive GBS cases from 2009 to 2024 in the Faroe Islands. A total of 42 GBS cases were identified. Serotyping was performed using phenotypic assays, with in silico whole-genome sequencing (WGS) based serotype confirmation available for 15 isolates collected between 2020 and 2024. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST), antimicrobial resistance profiling, and virulence gene were also performed. GBS incidence showed an increasing trend over the 15-year period, with the average annual incidence increasing from 3.69 (2009–2018) to 7.47 (2019–2024) per 100,000 population. Predominant serotypes were II, V, Ib, and Ia. All isolates carried genes coding for Alp-family proteins, which are immunogenic targets that may meaningfully influence the effectiveness of future GBS vaccines. MLST revealed a predominance of clonal complex (CC) 12, followed by CC452, CC1, and CC23. Phenotypic testing showed that all isolates were susceptible to penicillin, while four displayed resistance to erythromycin and clindamycin, with two carrying the erm(A) gene. Virulence genes including pilus islands ( PI ), cfb , sodA , and srr1 were detected. This study establishes a genomic and epidemiological baseline for invasive GBS in the Faroe Islands, highlighting an increase in incidence, data suggesting the likely efficacy of future GBS vaccine candidates, and preserved penicillin susceptibility. Continued genomic surveillance will be essential for informing public health and vaccine policy in small and remote populations.

Background Streptococcus agalacticae (Group B Streptococcus , GBS) is one of the most important causative agents of serious infections among neonates. This study was carried out to identify antibiotic resistance and virulence genes associated with GBS isolated from pregnant women. Methods A total of 43 GBS isolates were obtained from 420 vaginal samples collected from HIV positive and negative women who were 13–35 weeks pregnant attending Antenatal Care at Chitungwiza and Harare Central Hospitals in Zimbabwe. Identification tests of GBS isolates was done using standard bacteriological methods and molecular identification testing. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was done using the modified Kirby-Bauer method and E-test strips. The boiling method was used to extract DNA and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) was used to screen for 13 genes. Data was fed into SPSS 24.0. Results Nine distinct virulence gene profiles were identified and hly-scpB-bca-rib 37.2% (16/43) was common. The virulence genes identified were namely hly 97.8% (42/43), scpB 90.1% (39/43), bca 86.0% (37/43), rib 69.8% (30/43) and bac 11.6% (5/43). High resistance to tetracycline 97.7% (42/43) was reported followed by 72.1% (31/43) cefazolin, 69.8% (30/43) penicillin G, 58.1% (25/43) ampicillin, 55.8% (24/43) clindamycin, 46.5% (20/43) ceftriaxone, 34.9% (15/43) chloramphenicol, and 30.2% (13/43) for both erythromycin and vancomycin using disk diffusion. Antibiotic resistance genes among the resistant and intermediate-resistant isolates showed high frequencies for tetM 97.6% (41/42) and low frequencies for ermB 34.5% (10/29), ermTR 10.3% (3/29), mefA 3.4% (1/29), tetO 2.4% (1/42) and linB 0% (0/35). The atr housekeeping gene yielded 100% (43/43) positive results, whilst the mobile genetic element IS1548 yielded 9.3% (4/43). Conclusion The study showed high prevalence of hly, scpB, bca and rib virulence genes in S. agalactiae strains isolated from pregnant women. Tetracycline resistance was predominantly caused by the tetM gene, whilst macrolide resistance was predominantly due to the presence of erm methylase, with the ermB gene being more prevalent. Multi-drug resistance coupled with the recovery of resistant isolates to antimicrobial agents such as penicillins indicates the importance of GBS surveillance and susceptibility tests. It was also observed that in vitro phenotypic resistance is not always accurately predicted by resistance genotypes.

Group B Streptococcus (GBS), a causative agent of newborn infection, colonizes the digestive system and genitourinary tracts of pregnant women. The aim of this study was to assess the incidence of GBS capsular serotypes, virulence genes, and antibiotic resistance in pregnant women at a prominent maternity hospital in Shahrekord, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari. From January to July 2022, a total of 370 vaginal swabs were collected from women who were from 28 to 38 weeks pregnant. These swabs were used to identify Streptococcus agalactiae using PCR and culture technique. The capsular serotype of Streptococcus agalactiae isolates, antibiotic resistance and virulence genes distribution were determined through disk diffusion and multiplex PCR methods. mong 370 vaginal samples, 36 (9.72%) isolates were detected by culture and molecular methods, that type III (37.83%) and type V (32.43%) were the most frequent capsular serotypes, and all isolates harbored atr , and dltS genes. Moreover, the most frequent antibiotic resistance genes (62.16%) in the isolates is was related to tetO and ermA. All isolates were resistant to penicillin (100%), and the highest antibiotic susceptibility was found against linezolid (81%). Our study revealed a high rate of antibiotic resistance in Streptococcus agalactiae isolates, that molecular method was reliable approach for identification of infection and detection of harbored resistance genes. However, more studies are required to identification of effective antibiotics against infections and prevention of resistance in pregnant women.

Developing a therapeutic target for bacterial disease is challenging. In silico subtractive genomics methodology offer a promising alternative to traditional drug discovery methods. Streptococcus agalactiae infections depend on two crucial criteria: drug-resistance and the existence of virulence factors. It is essential to underline that S. agalactiae strains have emerged to be resistant to several drugs. Hence, there is a need for research on novel drugs and techniques that are potent, economical, productive, and dependable to combat S. agalactiae infections. In this study advanced computational techniques were exploited to examine potential druggable targets exclusive to this pathogen. Our study uncovered 200 non-homologous proteins in S. agalactiae serotype V (Strain ATCC BAA-611/ 2603 V/R) and identified 68 essential proteins indispensable for the bacterium’s survival. Therefore, these 68 proteins are potential targets for drug development. Subcellular localization analysis unveiled that the pathogen’s cytoplasmic membrane contained essential proteins among these vital non-homologous proteins. On the other hand, based on virulent protein predictions, six proteins were seen to be virulent. Among these, we prioritized two proteins (Sensor protein LytS and Galactosyl transferase CpsE which are exclusively found in S. agalactiae ) as potential druggable targets and selected them for further structural investigation. The proteins chosen could serve as a foundation for the identification of a promising therapeutic compound that has the potential to neutralize these enzymatic proteins, thereby contributing to the reduction of risks linked to the drug-resistant S. agalactiae .

Streptococcus agalactiae (Group B Streptococcus , GBS) is a commensal of the digestive and genitourinary tracts of humans that emerged as the leading cause of bacterial neonatal infections in Europe and North America during the 1960s. Due to the lack of epidemiological and genomic data, the reasons for this emergence are unknown. Here we show by comparative genome analysis and phylogenetic reconstruction of 229 isolates that the rise of human GBS infections corresponds to the selection and worldwide dissemination of only a few clones. The parallel expansion of the clones is preceded by the insertion of integrative and conjugative elements conferring tetracycline resistance (TcR). Thus, we propose that the use of tetracycline from 1948 onwards led in humans to the complete replacement of a diverse GBS population by only few TcR clones particularly well adapted to their host, causing the observed emergence of GBS diseases in neonates. Group B streptococci (GBS) started causing serious infections in newborn babies in the 1960s. Here, the authors show that the emergence of GBS diseases was associated with worldwide dissemination of a few clones that were resistant to tetracycline, an antibiotic that became widely used in the 1950s.

Background Streptococcus agalactiae (Group B Streptococcus , GBS) is a leading cause of neonatal infections, exhibiting remarkable adaptability. This study aimed to characterize the virulence and resistance profiles of GBS isolates obtained from pregnant women in Porto Velho, Rondônia, within the Brazilian Amazon. GBS strains were isolated and identified from rectovaginal cultures using phenotypic and genotypic methods. Capsule typing and the detection of virulence and resistance genes were performed through polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Antimicrobial susceptibility profiles and in vitro biofilm formation were also assessed. Results A total of 85 GBS strains were characterized. The most prevalent serotypes were Ia (36.5%) and V (15.3%), followed by Ib (14.1%), II (14.1%), III (11.8%), and VI (8.2%). A high prevalence of virulence genes was observed, including scpB (100%), lmb (97.6%), bca (84.7%), hylB (64.7%), cylE (60%), bac (57.6%), and hvgA (11.8%). All strains were susceptible to penicillin, ampicillin, cefazolin, ceftriaxone, and vancomycin. Non-susceptibility was identified for tetracycline (77.6%), erythromycin (18.9%), chloramphenicol (4.7%), clindamycin (3.5%), and levofloxacin (1.2%). Among the 17 strains non-susceptible to erythromycin and/or clindamycin, the detected phenotypes included M (82.4%), cMLS B (11.8%), and L (5.9%), with associated resistance genes erm(A) (5.9%), erm(B) (11.8%), and mef(A/E) (64.7%). Additionally, over 90% of the strains demonstrated strong biofilm formation capacity. Conclusions This is the first characterization of GBS in this region, revealing notable virulence and high susceptibility to first-line antibiotics. Six serotypes were identified, including Brazil’s second report of serotype VI, emphasizing the genetic and epidemiological diversity of the Amazonian region. Moreover, given that the serotype distribution in this population corresponds to the most prevalent types worldwide, the hexavalent GBS conjugate vaccine could represent a promising strategy for this population, as it would theoretically cover 91.8% of the analyzed strains, if proven effective and made available in Brazil.