Phenotypic and genotypic comparison between pathogenic Group B Streptococcus revealed the possibility of cross transmission between fish and human isolates in Malaysia

Abstract

Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is a leading cause of various infectious diseases among humans and fish. However, the likelihood of GBS interspecies transmission that lead to potential zoonotic problem is less investigated. This study determined the antimicrobial susceptibility, serotype, virulence and pili genes, and sequence type (ST) of GBS isolated from humans and cultured tilapia in Malaysia. We report an unusual detection of the fish-adapted ST283 in human GBS isolates. Both ST283 obtained from humans and fish had several phenotypical and genotypic characteristics in common, including virulence and pilus genes as well as antimicrobial susceptibility, illustrating the value of monitoring GBS within the One Health scope. The study sheds light on the evolution of the GBS and provides new evidence for the potential interspecies transmission by identifying two human GBS isolates belonging to the variant common in fish hosts.