Multilocus Sequence Analysis of Streptococcus canis Confirms the Zoonotic Origin of Human Infections and Reveals Genetic Exchange with Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp.equisimilis

Abstract

dStreptococcus canis is an animal pathogen that occasionally causes human infections. Isolates recovered from infections of animals (n ‫؍‬ 78, recovered from 2000 to 2010 in three European countries, mainly from house pets) and humans (n ‫؍‬ 7, recovered from 2006 to 2010 in Portugal) were identified by phenotypic and genotypic methods and characterized by antimicrobial susceptibility testing, multilocus sequence typing (MLST), pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), and emm typing. S. canis isolates presented considerable variability in biochemical profiles and 16S rRNA. Resistance to antimicrobial agents was low, with the most significant being tet(M)-and tet(O)-mediated tetracycline resistance. MLST analysis revealed a polyclonal structure of the S. canis population causing infections, where the same genetic lineages were found infecting house pets and humans and were disseminated in distinct geographic locations. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that S. canis was a divergent taxon of the sister species Streptococcus pyogenes and Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilis and found evidence of acquisition of genetic material by S. canis from S. dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilis. PFGE confirmed the MLST findings, further strengthening the similarity between animal and human isolates. The presence of emm-like genes was restricted to a few isolates and correlated with some MLST-based genetic lineages, but none of the human isolates could be emm typed. Our data show that S. canis isolates recovered from house pets and humans constitute a single population and demonstrate that isolates belonging to the main genetic lineages identified have the ability to infect the human host, providing strong evidence for the zoonotic nature of S. canis infection.

Identification of Group G Streptococcal Isolates from Companion Animals in Japan and Their Antimicrobial Resistance Patterns

“…The algorithm showed a limited capacity to discriminate between SC and SDSE SDSD at the species-level because more than one species had a score value ≥ 2.000. In addition, the invasive SC and SDSE strains were genetically related (23), and there was evidence of genetic exchange between SC and SDSE (24), suggesting that they were closely related species. Furthermore, only 3 SC strains, including the type strain, have been registered in the MS database that we used, as of September 2015.…”

Septic Osteoarthritis Due to Streptococcus dysgalactiae Subspecies equisimilis in a Three-Year-Old Girl

“…It is classically considered a commensal of mucosae and the burden of disease is under recognized (16). Transmission from sites of colonization and infections are the main transmission mechanisms, zoonosis is also being described (17,18). SDSE bacteremia is uncommon in children (19); among adults almost all patients have an underlying disease.…”

Vaginal Carriage of Antimicrobial Resistant Lancefield Group G Streptococci among Dogs in Lagos Metropolis, Nigeria

“…Also the MIC and basic antibiotic patterns of the streptococcus isolates are consistent with the Antibiotic resistant patterns of pyogenic Lancefield Group G of the Strep. canis of Pinho et al (2013). Dewinter et al (1999) reported Strep.…”

“…Streptococcus species have usually been seen as commensals of the urogenital tract. More recently, however, Givens and Morley (2008), Pinho et al, (2013) identified streptococcus species as one of the important causes of foetal and embryonic mortality and infertility in bitches and can be frequently isolated from the vagina, cervix and uterus (Watts et al 1996).…”

“…Zoonotic infections of Strep. canis, especially of dog and owners have been documented by several authors (Lam et al, 2007;Pinho, et al 2013., Fulde and Valentin-Weigand 2013., Lacave et al 2016 In this study, an attempt was made to characterise vaginal Streptococcal isolates from fertile and infertile bitches using haemolysis, Lancefield grouping and antibiotic resistance studies.…”