A longitudinal case series description of meningitis due to Streptococcus gallolyticus subsp. pasteurianus in infants

J Clin Microbiol. 2012 Jan;50(1):57-60. doi: 10.1128/JCM.05635-11. Epub 2011 Nov 9.

Abstract

Streptococcus gallolyticus subsp. pasteurianus, previously known as Streptococcus bovis biotype II.2, is known to cause multiple infectious complications, including bacterial meningitis, in adults. Only sporadic individual case reports have identified this pathogen as a cause of meningitis in infants. This study is the first to longitudinally document S. gallolyticus subsp. pasteurianus as a cause of meningitis in four epidemiologically unrelated infants less than 2 weeks of age. The 16S rRNA gene sequences of all 4 isolates were identical, and further were identical to 3 central nervous system (CNS) strains (two adults and one child) reported in existing literature. S. gallolyticus subsp. pasteurianus is an increasingly recognized cause of meningitis and bacteremia in the newborn period, and it merits further study with respect to etiology of infection.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use
  • Cluster Analysis
  • DNA, Bacterial / chemistry
  • DNA, Bacterial / genetics
  • DNA, Ribosomal / chemistry
  • DNA, Ribosomal / genetics
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Male
  • Meningitis, Bacterial / diagnosis*
  • Meningitis, Bacterial / drug therapy
  • Meningitis, Bacterial / microbiology*
  • Meningitis, Bacterial / pathology
  • Phylogeny
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / genetics
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA
  • Streptococcal Infections / diagnosis*
  • Streptococcal Infections / drug therapy
  • Streptococcal Infections / microbiology*
  • Streptococcal Infections / pathology
  • Streptococcus bovis / classification
  • Streptococcus bovis / isolation & purification*

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • DNA, Bacterial
  • DNA, Ribosomal
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 16S