This study presents the serotype distribution and the antibiotic resistance profile of 953 colonising group B Streptococcus (GBS) recovered from women of child bearing age (15 to 49 years) between 2005 and 2012 in the Lisbon and Tagus Valley region, Portugal. Overall, serotypes Ia, II, III, and V were the most common, accounting 752 of the 953 isolates (about 80%). However, there were changes in GBS distribution, in particular in the two last years of the study. Of note, the proportion of serotype IV isolates increased from 1% (2/148) in 2006 to 20% (19/97) in 2012. Also, considerable proportions of serotype IV isolates from 2010 to 2012 were respectively resistant to erythromycin (9/43; 21%) or clindamycin (6/43; 14%). The identification of nine serotype IV isolates presenting a novel association with the clonal complex (CC) 17 lineage, involving a putative capsular switch, may accentuate their virulence potential and ecological success. Molecular analysis of this subgroup of isolates revealed the presence of rib, IS (insertion sequence) 861 and GBSi1 group II intron within the C5a peptidase gene (scpB) -laminin-binding protein gene (lmb) region, reflecting high clonality and a putative common origin. A close surveillance of the emergent type IV/CC17 isolates is crucial considering the potential impact over GBS treatment guidelines and capsular vaccine development.

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Extracellular deoxyribonucleases (DNases) contribute to the spread of pathogenic bacteria through the evasion from host innate immunity. Our main objective was to evaluate the production of extracellular DNases by human and bovine Streptococcus agalactiae clinical strains and perform a correlation of genetic lineages and DNase activity with capsular type, genetic determinants, clinical origin (colonization and infection), and host (human or bovine). DNase activity was evaluated by qualitative and quantitative assays for a collection of 406 human (n = 285) and bovine (n = 121) strains. All (121/121) bovine were isolated from mastitis and revealed to be DNase (+), indicating a putative pathogenic role in this clinical scenario. From the human S. agalactiae strains, 86% (245/285) showed DNase activity, among which all strains belonging to capsular types, namely, Ia, Ib, III-2, and IV. All CC17 strains (n = 58) and 56/96 (58.3%) of the CC19 displayed DNase activity. DNase (–) strains belonged to the CC19 group. However, the subcharacterization of CC19 S. agalactiae strains through multiple-locus variable number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA), antibiotic resistance, mobile elements, and surface proteins did not provide any distinction among DNase producers and non-producers.The production of DNases by all human CC17 strains, about two-fifths of human CC19, and all bovine strains, suggest an important contribution of DNases to hypervirulence.

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