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de Oliveira LMA, Simões LC, Crestani C, Costa NS, Pantoja JCDF, Rabello RF, Teixeira LM, Khan UB, Bentley S, Jamrozy D, Pinto TDCA, Zadoks RN. Long-Term Co-Circulation of Host-Specialist and Host-Generalist Lineages of Group B Streptococcus in Brazilian Dairy Cattle with Heterogeneous Antimicrobial Resistance Profiles. Antibiotics (Basel) 2024; 13:389. [PMID: 38786118 PMCID: PMC11117364 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics13050389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2024] [Revised: 04/20/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is a major cause of contagious bovine mastitis (CBM) in Brazil. The GBS population is composed of host-generalist and host-specialist lineages, which may differ in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and zoonotic potential, and the surveillance of bovine GBS is crucial to developing effective CBM control and prevention measures. Here, we investigated bovine GBS isolates (n = 156) collected in Brazil between 1987 and 2021 using phenotypic testing and whole-genome sequencing to uncover the molecular epidemiology of bovine GBS. Clonal complex (CC) 61/67 was the predominant clade in the 20th century; however, it was replaced by CC91, with which it shares a most common recent ancestor, in the 21st century, despite the higher prevalence of AMR in CC61/67 than in CC91, and high selection pressure for AMR from indiscriminate antimicrobial use in the Brazilian dairy industry. CC103 also emerged as a dominant CC in the 21st century, and a considerable proportion of herds had two or more GBS strains, suggesting poor biosecurity and within-herd evolution due to the chronic nature of CBM problems. The majority of bovine GBS belonged to serotype Ia or III, which was strongly correlated with CCs. Ninety-three isolates were resistant to tetracycline (≥8 μg/mL; tetO = 57, tetM = 34 or both = 2) and forty-four were resistant to erythromycin (2.0 to >4 μg/mL; ermA = 1, ermB = 38, mechanism unidentified n = 5). Only three isolates were non-susceptible to penicillin (≥8.0 μg/mL), providing opportunities for improved antimicrobial stewardship through the use of narrow-spectrum antimicrobials for the treatment of dairy cattle. The common bovine GBS clades detected in this study have rarely been reported in humans, suggesting limited risk of interspecies transmission of GBS in Brazil. This study provides new data to support improvements to CBM and AMR control, bovine GBS vaccine design, and the management of public health risks posed by bovine GBS in Brazil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Maria Andrade de Oliveira
- Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil; (L.C.S.); (N.S.C.); (L.M.T.); (T.d.C.A.P.)
| | - Leandro Correia Simões
- Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil; (L.C.S.); (N.S.C.); (L.M.T.); (T.d.C.A.P.)
| | | | - Natália Silva Costa
- Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil; (L.C.S.); (N.S.C.); (L.M.T.); (T.d.C.A.P.)
| | | | | | - Lucia Martins Teixeira
- Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil; (L.C.S.); (N.S.C.); (L.M.T.); (T.d.C.A.P.)
| | - Uzma Basit Khan
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK; (U.B.K.); (S.B.); (D.J.)
| | - Stephen Bentley
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK; (U.B.K.); (S.B.); (D.J.)
| | - Dorota Jamrozy
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK; (U.B.K.); (S.B.); (D.J.)
| | - Tatiana de Castro Abreu Pinto
- Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil; (L.C.S.); (N.S.C.); (L.M.T.); (T.d.C.A.P.)
| | - Ruth N. Zadoks
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Science, University of Sydney, Camden, NSW 2570, Australia
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Perinatal Streptococcus agalactiae Epidemiology and Surveillance Targets. Clin Microbiol Rev 2018; 31:31/4/e00049-18. [PMID: 30111577 DOI: 10.1128/cmr.00049-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus agalactiae, or group B streptococcus (GBS), is a major neonatal pathogen. Recent data have elucidated the global prevalence of maternal and neonatal colonization, but gaps still remain in the epidemiology of this species. A number of phenotypic and genotypic classifications can be used to identify the diversity of GBS strains, and some are more discriminatory than others. This review explores the main schemes used for GBS epidemiology and further details the targets for epidemiological surveillance. Current screening practices across the world provide a unique opportunity to gain detailed information on maternal colonizing strains and neonatal disease-causing strains, which is vital for monitoring and therapeutics, if sufficient detail can be extracted. Deciphering which isolates are circulating within specific populations and recording targets within invasive strains are crucial steps in monitoring the implementation of therapeutics, such as vaccines, as well as developing novel therapies against prevalent GBS strains. Having a detailed understanding of global GBS epidemiology will prove invaluable for understanding the pathogenesis of this organism and equipping future prevention strategies for success.
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Microevolution of Streptococcus agalactiae ST-261 from Australia Indicates Dissemination via Imported Tilapia and Ongoing Adaptation to Marine Hosts or Environment. Appl Environ Microbiol 2018; 84:AEM.00859-18. [PMID: 29915111 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00859-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2018] [Accepted: 06/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus agalactiae (group B Streptococcus [GBS]) causes disease in a wide range of animals. The serotype Ib lineage is highly adapted to aquatic hosts, exhibiting substantial genome reduction compared with terrestrial conspecifics. Here, we sequence genomes from 40 GBS isolates, including 25 isolates from wild fish and captive stingrays in Australia, six local veterinary or human clinical isolates, and nine isolates from farmed tilapia in Honduras, and compared them with 42 genomes from public databases. Phylogenetic analysis based on nonrecombinant core-genome single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) indicated that aquatic serotype Ib isolates from Queensland were distantly related to local veterinary and human clinical isolates. In contrast, Australian aquatic isolates are most closely related to a tilapia isolate from Israel, differing by only 63 core-genome SNPs. A consensus minimum spanning tree based on core-genome SNPs indicates the dissemination of sequence type 261 (ST-261) from an ancestral tilapia strain, which is congruent with several introductions of tilapia into Australia from Israel during the 1970s and 1980s. Pangenome analysis identified 1,440 genes as core, with the majority being dispensable or strain specific, with non-protein-coding intergenic regions (IGRs) divided among core and strain-specific genes. Aquatic serotype Ib strains have lost many virulence factors during adaptation, but six adhesins were well conserved across the aquatic isolates and might be critical for virulence in fish and for targets in vaccine development. The close relationship among recent ST-261 isolates from Ghana, the United States, and China with the Israeli tilapia isolate from 1988 implicates the global trade in tilapia seed for aquaculture in the widespread dissemination of serotype Ib fish-adapted GBS.IMPORTANCEStreptococcus agalactiae (GBS) is a significant pathogen of humans and animals. Some lineages have become adapted to particular hosts, and serotype Ib is highly specialized to fish. Here, we show that this lineage is likely to have been distributed widely by the global trade in tilapia for aquaculture, with probable introduction into Australia in the 1970s and subsequent dissemination in wild fish populations. We report here the variability in the polysaccharide capsule among this lineage but identify a cohort of common surface proteins that may be a focus of future vaccine development to reduce the biosecurity risk in international fish trade.
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Capsular Typing Method for Streptococcus agalactiae Using Whole-Genome Sequence Data. J Clin Microbiol 2016; 54:1388-90. [PMID: 26962081 PMCID: PMC4844738 DOI: 10.1128/jcm.03142-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2015] [Accepted: 02/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
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.
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Usein CR, Militaru M, Cristea V, Străuţ M. Genetic diversity and antimicrobial resistance in Streptococcus agalactiae strains recovered from female carriers in the Bucharest area. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2014; 109:189-96. [PMID: 24676662 PMCID: PMC4015262 DOI: 10.1590/0074-0276140431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2013] [Accepted: 01/29/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
For the first time, we used multilocus sequence typing (MLST) to understand how
Romanian group B streptococcus (GBS) strains fit into the global GBS population
structure. Colonising isolates recovered from adult human females were tested for
antibiotic resistance, were molecularly serotyped based on the capsular
polysaccharide synthesis (cps) gene cluster and further
characterised using a set of molecular markers (surface protein genes, pilus-encoded
islands and mobile genetic elements inserted in the scpB-lmb
intergenic region). Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis was used to complement the MLST
clonal distribution pattern of selected strains. Among the 55 strains assigned to six
cps types (Ia, Ib, II-V), 18 sequence types (STs) were identified
by MLST. Five STs represented new entries to the MLST database. The prevalent STs
were ST-1, ST-17, ST-19 and ST-28. Twenty molecular marker profiles were identified.
The most common profiles (rib+GBSi1+PI-1,
rib+GBSi1+PI-1, PI-2b and alp2/3+PI-1, PI-2a) were
associated with the cps III/ST-17 and cps V/ST-1
strains. A cluster of fluoroquinolone-resistant strains was detected among the
cps V/ST-19 members; these strains shared alp1
and IS1548 and carried PI-1, PI-2a or both. Our results
support the usefulness of implementing an integrated genotyping system at the
reference laboratory level to obtain the reliable data required to make comparisons
between countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Codruţa-Romaniţa Usein
- Molecular Epidemiology Laboratory, Cantacuzino National Institute of Research/Development for Microbiology and Immunology, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Mădălina Militaru
- Molecular Epidemiology Laboratory, Cantacuzino National Institute of Research/Development for Microbiology and Immunology, Bucharest, Romania
| | | | - Monica Străuţ
- Molecular Epidemiology Laboratory, Cantacuzino National Institute of Research/Development for Microbiology and Immunology, Bucharest, Romania
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Abstract
The polysaccharide capsule is a major antigenic factor in Streptococcus agalactiae (Lancefield group B streptococcus [GBS]). Previous observations suggest that exchange of capsular loci is likely to occur rather frequently in GBS, even though GBS is not known to be naturally transformable. We sought to identify and characterize putative capsular switching events, by means of a combination of phenotypic and genotypic methods, including pulsed-field gel electrophoretic profiling, multilocus sequence typing, and surface protein and pilus gene profiling. We show that capsular switching by horizontal gene transfer is not as frequent as previously suggested. Serotyping errors may be the main reason behind the overestimation of capsule switching, since phenotypic techniques are prone to errors of interpretation. The identified putative capsular transformants involved the acquisition of the entire capsular locus and were not restricted to the serotype-specific central genes, the previously suggested main mechanism underlying capsular switching. Our data, while questioning the frequency of capsular switching, provide clear evidence for in vivo capsular transformation in S. agalactiae, which may be of critical importance in planning future vaccination strategies against this pathogen.
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