Streptococcus agalactiae vaginitis: nonhemolytic variant on the Liofilchem® Chromatic StreptoB.
Streptococcus agalactiae (group B Streptococcus, GBS) vaginal pathogenicity is not uniformly acknowledged throughout the literature; accordingly, in women, genital itching and burning, along with leukorrhea are commonly and almost exclusively referred to bacterial vaginosis, candidiasis and trichomoniasis. Conversely, GBS virulence for vagina was recognized in the past, as the organism has been observed to potentially cause local inflammation and discharge, as well as lactobacilli rarefaction. We depict here a case where a nonhemolytic (γ-hemolytic) GBS strain was found to be the etiologic agent of vaginal infection. Such uncommon S. agalactiae phenotypes are hard to be recognized and may be therefore responsible for misdiagnosing and underestimation of GBS vaginitis prevalence; here, we had the support of the Liofilchem(®) Chromatic StreptoB medium, that successfully detected such an atypical variant.
Microbiology and Virology, Spirito Santo Hospital, Pescara (PE), Italy. vincenzo_savini@libero.it
Vincenzo
V
Savini
Roberta
R
Marrollo
Marianna
M
D'Antonio
Claudio
C
D'Amario
Paolo
P
Fazii
Domenico
D
D'Antonio
D000658:Amoxicillin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D013292:Streptococcus agalactiae / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016585:Vaginosis, Bacterial / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000658:Amoxicillin
GBS; Streptococcus agalactiae; group B antigen; leukorrhea; vaginitis