title: Antimicrobial susceptibility and genetic diversity of Streptococcus agalactiae recovered from newborns and pregnant women in Brazil.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Streptococcus agalactiae is known to be the major cause of neonatal infections and also causes complications during pregnancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and six strains of Streptococcus agalactiae recovered from clinical specimens of newborns (n = 18) and pregnant women (n = 88) were submitted to antimicrobial susceptibility testing and investigation of genetic determinants of macrolide resistance, capsular type, and virulence factors. Genetic diversity was evaluated by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Strains were susceptible to ceftriaxone, levofloxacin, penicillin G, and vancomycin and resistant to tetracycline (85.8%) and erythromycin (4.7%). Erythromycin-resistant strains presented iMLSB phenotype, harbored the ermA gene, and were closely related by PFGE. Both bac and bca genes were found in low frequencies. PFGE analysis yielded 11 DNA restriction profiles among 35 selected isolates. The major clonal group, designated as A, was composed predominantly of strains belonging to capsular type Ia. Clonal group B was composed predominantly of strains with capsular type V, including all erythromycin-resistant isolates.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although low levels of erythromycin resistance have been observed, this is a fact of concern because this phenotype also confers resistance to clindamycin, an alternative agent for intrapartum prophylaxis. Despite the diversity of capsular types, Ia and V were among the most common and were significantly associated with distinct clonal groups. In a few cases, different capsular types were clustered into a single clonal group, which may be related to capsular switching.
authors.affiliation: From the 1 Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia, Instituto Biomédico, Universidade Federal Fluminense , Niterói.
authors.forename: Viviane C
authors.initials: VC
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.forename: Fabíola C O
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Kegele
authors.forename: Selma R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.forename: Felipe P G
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: Neves
authors.forename: Geraldo R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: de Paula
authors.forename: Rosana R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Barros
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001938:Brazil; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D005260:Female; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D058889:Molecular Typing; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000382:microbiology*; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D013292:Streptococcus agalactiae / Q000145:classification* / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents