Group B Streptococcus serotypes associated with different clinical syndromes: Asymptomatic carriage in pregnant women, intrauterine fetal death, and early onset disease in the newborn

PLoS One. 2020 Dec 31;15(12):e0244450. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0244450. eCollection 2020.

Abstract

Objectives: To study Group B Streptococcus (GBS) isolates associated with different clinical syndromes: asymptomatic carriage in pregnant women, intrauterine fetal death (IUFD), and early onset disease (EOD) in the newborn.

Methods: GBS isolates were collected from asymptomatic pregnant women admitted for labor, IUFD cases, and neonates with EOD. Serotypes and antibiotic susceptibilities were determined. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) was performed to assess genetic epidemiology.

Results: GBS carriage rate was 26.1% (280/1074). The dominant serotype among asymptomatic pregnant women was VI [98/240 women (40.8%)], followed by serotypes III, V and IV in 42/240 (17.5%), 30/240 (12.5%) and 28/240 (11.7%) women, respectively. The dominant serotype in IUFD cases was serotype VI [10/13 (76.9%)]. In contrast the prevalent serotype among EOD cases was III [16/19 (84.2%)]. ST-1 was associated with IUFD [7/13 (53.8%)], ST-17 was associated with serotype III and EOD in the newborn 14/19 (73.7%)]. Erythromycin and clindamycin resistance reached 36.8%, 7.7% and 20.0%among EOD, vaginal carriage and IUFD, respectively.

Conclusions: Serotypes VI and ST-1 were dominant among asymptomatic pregnant women and in IUFD cases while EOD was associated with serotype III and ST-17. Invasive mechanisms thus may differ between IUFD and EOD in the newborn and virulence may be related to capsule serotype. Resistance rates to erythromycin and clindamycin were high in EOD cases.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Age of Onset
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use
  • Carrier State / diagnosis*
  • Carrier State / drug therapy
  • Carrier State / epidemiology
  • Carrier State / microbiology
  • Clindamycin / pharmacology
  • Clindamycin / therapeutic use
  • Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial / genetics
  • Erythromycin / pharmacology
  • Erythromycin / therapeutic use
  • Female
  • Fetal Death*
  • Humans
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Multilocus Sequence Typing
  • Neonatal Sepsis / diagnosis*
  • Neonatal Sepsis / drug therapy
  • Neonatal Sepsis / epidemiology
  • Neonatal Sepsis / microbiology
  • Polysaccharides, Bacterial / genetics
  • Pregnancy
  • Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / diagnosis*
  • Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / drug therapy
  • Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / epidemiology
  • Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / microbiology
  • Serogroup
  • Serotyping
  • Streptococcal Infections / diagnosis*
  • Streptococcal Infections / drug therapy
  • Streptococcal Infections / epidemiology
  • Streptococcal Infections / microbiology
  • Streptococcus agalactiae / genetics*
  • Streptococcus agalactiae / isolation & purification
  • Streptococcus agalactiae / pathogenicity
  • Virulence / genetics
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Polysaccharides, Bacterial
  • Clindamycin
  • Erythromycin

Grants and funding

The study was funded by internal funds of the Microbiology laboratory, Maayaney Hayeshua, Bney Brak, Israel. YM received consultant and lecture fees from Pfizer, MSD, Gilead and Astellas. GR received consultant and lecture fees from Pfizer, MSD and Astellas. The specific roles of these authors are articulated in the ‘author contributions’ section. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.