Pharyngeal Carriage of Beta-Haemolytic Streptococcus Species and Seroprevalence of Anti-Streptococcal Antibodies in Children in Bouaké, Côte d’Ivoire

The pharynx of the child may serve as a reservoir of pathogenic bacteria, including beta-haemolytic group A streptococci (GAS), which can give rise to upper airway infections and post-streptococcal diseases. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of beta-haemolytic Streptococcus spp. in pharyngeal samples stemming from children aged 3–14 years in Bouaké, central Côte d’Ivoire. Oropharyngeal throat swabs for microbiological culture and venous blood samples to determine the seroprevalence of antistreptolysin O antibodies (ASO) were obtained from 400 children in March 2017. Identification was carried out using conventional bacteriological methods. Serogrouping was performed with a latex agglutination test, while an immunological agglutination assay was employed for ASO titres. The mean age of participating children was 9 years (standard deviation 2.5 years). In total, we detected 190 bacteria in culture, with 109 beta-haemolytic Streptococcus isolates, resulting in an oropharyngeal carriage rate of 27.2%. Group C streptococci accounted for 82.6% of all isolates, whereas GAS were rarely found (4.6%). The ASO seroprevalence was 17.3%. There was no correlation between serology and prevalence of streptococci (p = 0.722). In conclusion, there is a high pharyngeal carriage rate of non-GAS strains in children from Bouaké, warranting further investigation.

Publisher Correction: Mice repeatedly exposed to Group-A β-Haemolytic Streptococcus show perseverative behaviors, impaired sensorimotor gating, and immune activation in rostral diencephalon

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Streptococcus pseudoporcinus: a rare cause of bacteraemia in an immune-compromised patient

Streptococcus pseudoporcinus, a ß-haemolytic Streptococcus is known to cause genital infections. Author report a rare case of Streptococcus pseudoporcinus bacteremia in an immune-compromised male patient diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia eight months back. The organism was identified as a beta hemolytic bacterium which was catalase negative, oxidase positive and bacitracin resistant. Automated methods (VITEK-2) confirmed the organism to be Streptococcus pseudoporcinus.

Virulence factors and phylogenetic group profile of uterine Escherichia coli in early postpartum of high-producing dairy cows

Escherichia coli is the most common contaminant of the bovine uterus in the first few weeks postpartum, and one of the most important pathogens involved in uterine infections. This bacterium is characterised by diverse virulence factors (VF); however, the profile of E. coli VF in physiologic postpartum uterine contamination is not well established. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the prevalence of intrauterine bacteria, a set of virulence factors and phylogroups of E. coli isolates, leukogram and uterine cytology in 75 Holstein cows at 24 h (Sampling time 1) and 14 days (Sampling time 2) postpartum. Escherichia coli, α-haemolytic Streptococcus, Trueperella pyogenes, and Pasteurella multocida were the most common microorganisms isolated in pure culture, whereas E. coli and Clostridium perfringens Type A, E. coli and α-haemolytic Streptococcus, and E. coli and Proteus mirabilis were the most frequent microorganisms in mixed colonies at both studied sampling times. In the 59 E. coli isolates after 24 h (n = 35) and 14 days (n = 24) postpartum, the genes detected for VF were fimH, iucD/aer, kps, hlyA, usp, vt1 and vt2. Most E. coli strains detected in both moments of study belonged to Commensal phylogenetic groups A and B1, whereas Pathogenic groups D and B2 were identified at 24 h and 14 days postpartum respectively. All cows presented suitable immune response against the presence of bacteria in uterine lumen, observed by leukocytosis, neutrophilia, lymphocytosis and monocytosis at leukogram and a high number of polymorphonuclear leukocytes in uterine cytology, in both studied moments. Thus, a complex diversity of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria is involved in uterine contamination in the early postpartum of cows, besides the predominance of E. coli. Moreover, the genes fimH, iucD/aer, hlyA, kps, usp, vt1 and vt2 play a key role in the virulence of E. coli in this period.