2024/10/16 by Pisut Pongchaikul, Roberto Romero, Thidathip Wongsurawat +12 · 12 citations
paper · doi:10.1515/jpm-2024-0310
published in Journal of Perinatal Medicine 52(9), 977-990 (Walter de Gruyter GmbH)
crossref created 2024/10/15 · crossref issued 2024/10/16 · crossref published 2024/10/16 · crossref published-online 2024/10/16 · crossref deposited 2024/11/11 · crossref published-print 2024/11/26 · crossref indexed 2026/08/01
Abstract Objectives Streptococcus agalactiae , or Group B Streptococcus (GBS), is a leading cause of neonatal sepsis. Materno-fetal transmission of the microorganisms present in the lower genital tract/perineum is considered to be the most frequent mode for acquisition of infection. It has also been proposed that, in a subset of cases, GBS causes acute chorioamnionitis, intraamniotic infection, and fetal/neonatal sepsis. However, the evidence to support this ascending pathway is derived from microbiologic studies that rely on cultivation methods, which do not have the resolution to determine if the microorganisms causing neonatal sepsis are the same as those found in the amniotic fluid and the vaginal ecosystem. Methods We used whole genome sequencing of the microorganisms isolated from the vagina, amniotic fluid, chorioamniotic membranes, and neonatal blood (four isolates) in a case of early neonatal sepsis. Using hybrid genome assembly, we characterized the genomic features including virulence factors and antimicrobial resistance in four isolates from the same mother, placenta, and newborn. Results Whole genome sequencing revealed that the microorganisms in the four clinical isolates corresponded to S. agalactiae sequence type 1, clonal complexes 1, and serotype Ib. Comparative genomic analysis illustrated similar DNA sequences of the four genomes. Conclusions This study presents the first evidence of the genomic similarity of microorganisms in the vaginal ecosystem, the space between the chorioamniotic membranes of the placenta, amniotic fluid, and neonatal blood.