Genomic Analysis of Group B Streptococcus Carriage Isolates From Botswana Reveals Distinct Local Epidemiology and Identifies Novel Strains

Karen L Hanze Villavicencio; Megan J Job; Anne Claire Burghard; Allison Taffet; Francis M Banda; Moses Vurayai; Margaret Mokomane; Tonya Arscott-Mills; Tiny Mazhani; Seeletso Nchingane; Brady Thomas; Andrew P Steenhoff; Adam J Ratner

doi:10.1093/ofid/ofad496

Genomic Analysis of Group B Streptococcus Carriage Isolates From Botswana Reveals Distinct Local Epidemiology and Identifies Novel Strains

Open Forum Infect Dis. 2023 Oct 3;10(10):ofad496. doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofad496. eCollection 2023 Oct.

Authors

Karen L Hanze Villavicencio^{1

2}, Megan J Job³, Anne Claire Burghard^{3

4}, Allison Taffet³, Francis M Banda⁵, Moses Vurayai⁶, Margaret Mokomane⁶, Tonya Arscott-Mills^{5

7

8}, Tiny Mazhani⁵, Seeletso Nchingane⁹, Brady Thomas¹⁰, Andrew P Steenhoff^{1

2

5

7

8}, Adam J Ratner^{3

11}

Affiliations

¹ Division of Infectious Diseases, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
² Department of Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
³ Department of Pediatrics, NewYork University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA.
⁴ Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NewYork, USA.
⁵ Department of Pediatrics & Adolescent Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Botswana, Gaborone, Botswana.
⁶ School of Allied Health Professionals, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Botswana, Gaborone, Botswana.
⁷ Botswana-UPenn Partnership, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Botswana, Gaborone, Botswana.
⁸ Global Health Center, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
⁹ Department of Pediatrics, Princess Marina Hospital, Gaborone, Botswana.
¹⁰ Department of Pediatrics, Stead Family Children's Hospital, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA.
¹¹ Department of Microbiology, NewYork University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA.

Abstract

In pregnant people colonized with group B Streptococcus (GBS) in Botswana, we report the presence/expansion of sequence types 223 and 109, a low rate of erythromycin resistance, and 3 novel sequence types. These data highlight the importance of local epidemiologic studies of GBS, a significant source of neonatal disease.

Grants and funding

P30 AI045008/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States