Author(s)

Margarita Laczeski, Eduardo Pegels, Patricia Oviedo, Marina Quiroga, Marta Vergara

Department of Microbiology, Bacteriology, Faculty of Exact, Chemical and Natural Sciences, National University of Misiones, Posadas, Argentina.

Streptococcus agalactiae (GBS) is considered as the most important cause of invasive bacterial disease in infants. There are few current data from serotype IX of GBS worldwide. The present work has been done in order to make a contribution to the knowledge of serotype IX through phenotypic and genotypic study of virulence and resistance. Of 200 strains tested, 5.5% were serotype IX and all were colonizing. In 63.6% of the strains the presence of the bac, bca and hylB genes was determined, and in 54.5% of lmb and rib. All strains were susceptible to Clindamycin and Erythromycin however five isolates showed the resistance genes: ermB, ermTR and/or mefA. The presence of serotype IX in Misiones, a province situated in the northeaster of Argentina, which limits with Paraguay and Brazil in South America, gives the region a particular situation. Currently, public health efforts are aimed at prevention and treatment, study of the virulence mechanisms, surveillance of resistance to antibiotics and the development of effective vaccines to prevent GBS infection.

Streptococcus agalactiae Serotype IX, Virulence Genes, Resistance Genes, Clindamycin, Erythromycin

Laczeski, M. , Pegels, E. , Oviedo, P. , Quiroga, M. and Vergara, M. (2014) Molecular Profiles and Antimicrobial Susceptibility of First Isolates of Streptococcus agalactiae Serotype IX in Argentina. Advances in Microbiology, 4, 474-483. doi: 10.4236/aim.2014.48052.