Streptococcus agalactiae or group B Streptococcus (GBS) is among the leading causes of neonatal infections and illnesses in pregnant women, posing a significant health challenge in both high-income and low- to middle-income countries. Predisposing factors in the elderly, such as diabetes mellitus, immunosuppression, obesity, alcoholism, and nicotine addiction, have been cited. Here, we report a 66-year-old diabetic female patient admitted to the hospital with suspected necrotising fasciitis of the left breast, which developed pus-draining lesions. Empiric treatment with amoxicillin-clavulanic acid was initiated. Culture of a swab sample revealed the presence of beta-haemolytic GBS, which was susceptible to ampicillin/penicillin, erythromycin, clindamycin, and vancomycin. The treatment was de-escalated to ampicillin. The outcome was favourable; the patient was discharged after 23 days of admission. Whole genome sequencing revealed the strain to be a hypervirulent clone ST-17, which carried multiple virulence factors and antimicrobial-associated resistance genes. This is the first-ever whole-genome report of hypervirulent GBS ST-17 in our tertiary hospital. This highlights the need for continuous surveillance, as this strain is known for high rates of morbidity and mortality, especially in neonates and the immunocompromised.
Masemola et al. (Sun,) studied this question.