Late-onset neonatal group B streptococcal disease associated with breast milk transmission: molecular typing using RAPD-PCR.
Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is considered to be the major cause of neonatal sepsis and meningitis of bacterial origin. Late-onset GBS infection is infrequent and occurs between 1 week and 3 months of age. The transmission of GBS through the ingestion of breast milk is reported in the literature, but only a few of these cases have been confirmed by molecular techniques. In this article we report five cases of late-onset GBS disease: transmission through maternal milk was confirmed in four cases, using the random amplified polymorphic DNA polymerase chain reaction (RAPD-PCR) typing assay. In addition, the RAPD-PCR assay showed that each of the isolated clones belonged to a different RAPD genotype, thus revealing that the late-onset GBS infections were not epidemiologically related.
Microbiology and Virology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy. Electronic address: m.brandolini@smatteo.pv.it.
Micaela
M
Brandolini
Microbiology and Virology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy.
Marta
M
Corbella
Microbiology and Virology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy.
Patrizia
P
Cambieri
Microbiology and Virology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy.
Daniela
D
Barbarini
Department of Veterinary Sciences and Public Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy.
Davide
D
Sassera
Neonatology and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy.
Mauro
M
Stronati
Microbiology and Virology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy.
Piero
P
Marone
D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000382:microbiology*; D019105:Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Technique; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000635:transmission*; D013292:Streptococcus agalactiae / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity
Breast milk transmission; Group B streptococcal disease; Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD)