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Molecular epidemiology of group B streptococci in Ireland: associations between serotype, invasive status and presence of genes encoding putative virulence factors

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 October 2003

N. DORE ,
D. BENNETT ,
M. KALISZER ,
M. CAFFERKEY  and
C. J. SMYTH
N. DORE
Affiliation:
Irish Meningococcal and Meningitis Reference Laboratory, The Children's University Hospital, Temple Street, Dublin 1, Ireland The Rotunda Hospital, Parnell Street, Dublin 1, Ireland
D. BENNETT
Affiliation:
Irish Meningococcal and Meningitis Reference Laboratory, The Children's University Hospital, Temple Street, Dublin 1, Ireland The Rotunda Hospital, Parnell Street, Dublin 1, Ireland
M. KALISZER
Affiliation:
Department of Community Health Trinity College, The Adelaide and Meath Hospital, Tallaght, Dublin 24, Ireland
M. CAFFERKEY
Affiliation:
Irish Meningococcal and Meningitis Reference Laboratory, The Children's University Hospital, Temple Street, Dublin 1, Ireland The Rotunda Hospital, Parnell Street, Dublin 1, Ireland Department of Clinical Microbiology, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, York Street, Dublin 2, Ireland
C. J. SMYTH
Affiliation:
Department of Microbiology, Moyne Institute of Preventive Medicine, Trinity College, University of Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
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Abstract

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Group B streptococcal isolates (n=159) from the three Dublin maternity hospitals, were serotyped and analysed for the bac, bca, hylB, pepB, and rib genes. The serotype distribution of the isolates was Ia, 19·5%; Ib, 18·9%; II, 10·7%; III, 29·5%; IV, 1·9%; V, 15·1%; non-typeable, 4·4%. There was a statistically significant association between the serotype and invasive status (carriage or infection) of isolates (P<0·005), but no significant association between serotype and degree of invasiveness was demonstrated. The presence or absence of each analysed gene was not associated with the invasive status of isolates. Statistically significant associations were revealed between bca and hylB (IS1548) (P=0·0004) and between bac and bca (P=0·0l4). The bac, bca, hylB (IS1548) and rib genes and the numbers of tandem repeats in the bca gene showed significant associations with serotype. Almost 50% of serotype III isolates possessed at least one of the bac and bca genes and 55–65% of strains of serotypes Ia, Ib and II possessed the rib gene. Most serotype III isolates had IS1548 in their hylB genes. Serotype Ib was the only serotype in which more than half of the strains contained more tandem repeats in the bca gene than the overall mean for the GBS population studied of 7·4 repeats. These findings indicate that some previously reported associations between putative virulence factors and GBS disease require further study and clarification.

Type
Research Article
Information
Epidemiology & Infection , Volume 131 , Issue 2 , October 2003 , pp. 823 - 833
Copyright
2003 Cambridge University Press

Footnotes

This work was presented in part at the National Medical Scientific Meeting, Royal College of Physicians in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland, March 2000, Ir J Med Sci 2000; 169 Suppl 2: 69 [abstract]; 40th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, Toronto, Canada, September 2000 [abstract 1433]: 423.