{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,9]],"date-time":"2026-06-09T05:04:06Z","timestamp":1780981446848,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":38,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,24]],"date-time":"2025-04-24T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1745452800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Next Generation EU-MUR PNRR Extended Partnership initiative on Emerging Infectious Diseases","award":["PE0000007"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["PE0000007"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Microorganisms"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This study, for the first time in Italy, analyses by WGS a Streptococcus agalactiae strain isolated from a non-pregnant adult affected by Meningitis and without common risk factors. The S. agalactiae strain was classified as a serotype II (SS2), sequence type ST569. Molecular characterization evidenced the presence of resistance genes to tetracycline and macrolide (tet(M) and mre(A)) and several virulence genes coding for adhesion and immune evasion factors (bca, cps family, neu family, scpB, gbs family, pil family and hylB), toxins (cfa\/cfb, cyl family), pro-inflammatory factors (lepA), and two homologous genes that contributed to bacterial escape from the host immune system (lmb, luxS). SNP analysis showed 18 different alleles, with 9 missense SNP mutations related to genes involved in cellular metabolism (dhaS, ftsE, ligA, nrdD and secA), virulence (bgrR and galE) and antimicrobial resistance (glpK and mutL). SNPs in glpK and mutL genes might reduce susceptibility to drugs. The SNP analysis highlighted the presence of mutations conferring pathogenicity to the strain. The evidence in this study could explain the development of Meningitis in a healthy patient. This case highlights the importance of using molecular methods to characterize the complete genome of a bacterial species that could seriously affect human health.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/microorganisms13050978","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,24]],"date-time":"2025-04-24T11:44:52Z","timestamp":1745495092000},"page":"978","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["First Report of Streptococcus agalactiae Meningitis in a Non-Pregnant Adult in Italy"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4672-6793","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Giorgia","family":"Borriello","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Southern Italy, 80055 Portici, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3139-7672","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Giovanna","family":"Fusco","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Southern Italy, 80055 Portici, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Francesca","family":"Greco","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Microbiology & Virology Unit, \u201cAnnunziata\u201d Hub Hospital, 87100 Cosenza, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Maria Vittoria","family":"Mauro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Microbiology & Virology Unit, \u201cAnnunziata\u201d Hub Hospital, 87100 Cosenza, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0000-4513-0018","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lorella","family":"Barca","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Southern Italy, 80055 Portici, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Antonio","family":"Limone","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Southern Italy, 80055 Portici, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Maria","family":"Garzi Cosentino","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Southern Italy, 80055 Portici, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0002-9256-0306","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Agata","family":"Campione","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Southern Italy, 80055 Portici, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8854-6048","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Antonio","family":"Rinaldi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Southern Italy, 80055 Portici, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5990-3843","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Saveria","family":"Dodaro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Microbiology & Virology Unit, \u201cAnnunziata\u201d Hub Hospital, 87100 Cosenza, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7883-1283","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Esterina","family":"De Carlo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Southern Italy, 80055 Portici, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sonia","family":"Greco","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Infectious & Tropical Diseases Unit, \u201cAnnunziata\u201d Hub Hospital, 87100 Cosenza, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Valeria","family":"Vangeli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Infectious & Tropical Diseases Unit, \u201cAnnunziata\u201d Hub Hospital, 87100 Cosenza, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8885-6086","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rubina","family":"Paradiso","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Southern Italy, 80055 Portici, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1641-1491","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Antonio","family":"Mastroianni","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Infectious & Tropical Diseases Unit, \u201cAnnunziata\u201d Hub Hospital, 87100 Cosenza, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,24]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"571","DOI":"10.1084\/jem.57.4.571","article-title":"A serological differentiation of human and other groups of hemolytic streptococci","volume":"57","author":"Lancefield","year":"1933","journal-title":"J. Exp. Med."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Burcham, L.R., Spencer, B.L., Keeler, L.R., Runft, D.L., Patras, K.A., Neely, M.N., and Doran, K.S. (2019). Determinants of Group B streptococcal virulence potential amongst vaginal clinical 320 isolates from pregnant women. PLoS ONE, 14.","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0226699"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Furfaro, L.L., Chang, B.J., Kahler, C.M., and Payne, M.S. (2019). Genomic characterisation of perinatal Western Australian Streptococcus agalactiae isolates. PLoS ONE, 14.","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0223256"},{"key":"ref_4","unstructured":"Hanna, M., and Noor, A. (2023). Streptococcus Group, B, Stat Pearls Publishing."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1016\/j.micpath.2015.11.016","article-title":"Comparison of virulence factors and capsular types of Streptococcus agalactiae isolated from human and bovine infections","volume":"91","author":"Emaneini","year":"2016","journal-title":"Microb. Pathog."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"59","DOI":"10.1016\/j.gene.2016.10.030","article-title":"The genome of serotype VI Streptococcus agalactiae serotype VI and comparative analysis","volume":"597","author":"He","year":"2017","journal-title":"Gene"},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Meroni, G., Sora, V.M., Martino, P.A., Sbernini, A., Laterza, G., Zaghen, F., Soggiu, A., and Zecconi, A. (2022). Epidemiology of Antimicrobial Resistance Genes in Streptococcus agalactiae Sequences from a Public Database in a One Health Perspective. Antibiotics, 11.","DOI":"10.3390\/antibiotics11091236"},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Zhou, Y., Zhao, X.-C., Wang, L.-Q., Chen, C.-W., Hsu, M.-H., Liao, W.-T., Deng, X., Yan, Q., Zhao, G.-P., and Chen, C.-L. (2022). Detecting Genetic Variation of Colonizing Streptococcus agalactiae Genomes in Humans: A Precision Protocol. Front. Bioinform., 2.","DOI":"10.3389\/fbinf.2022.813599"},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"503","DOI":"10.1128\/JCM.02417-12","article-title":"Capsular gene typing of Streptococcus agalactiae compared to serotyping by latex agglutination","volume":"51","author":"Yao","year":"2013","journal-title":"J. Clin. Microbiol."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"65","DOI":"10.1186\/s13567-017-0461-2","article-title":"Molecular and virulence characterization of highly prevalent Streptococcus agalactiae circulated in bovine dairy herds","volume":"48","author":"Pang","year":"2017","journal-title":"Vet. Res."},{"key":"ref_11","first-page":"000648","article-title":"The fall and rise of group B Streptococcus in dairy cattle: Reintroduction due to human-to-cattle host jumps?","volume":"7","author":"Crestani","year":"2021","journal-title":"Microb. Genom."},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"7","DOI":"10.1016\/j.diagmicrobio.2017.06.003","article-title":"A novel one-step real-time multiplex PCR assay to detect Streptococcus agalactiae presence and serotypes Ia, Ib, and III","volume":"89","author":"Furfaro","year":"2017","journal-title":"Diagn. Microbiol. Infect. Dis."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Slotved, H.-C., M\u00f8ller, J.K., Khalil, M.R., and Nielsen, S.Y. (2021). The serotype distribution of Streptococcus agalactiae (GBS) carriage isolates among pregnant women having risk factors for early-onset GBS disease: A comparative study with GBS causing invasive infections during the same period in Denmark. BMC Infect. Dis., 21.","DOI":"10.1186\/s12879-021-06820-2"},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e18270","DOI":"10.1097\/MD.0000000000018270","article-title":"Lethal infective endocarditis due to Streptococcus agalactiae in a man with a history of alcohol abuse: A case report","volume":"98","author":"Boretti","year":"2019","journal-title":"Medicine"},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"100","DOI":"10.1007\/s15010-007-7251-0","article-title":"Invasive group B Streptococcal disease in non-pregnant adults: A review with emphasis on skin and soft-tissue infections","volume":"36","author":"Sendi","year":"2008","journal-title":"Infection"},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e00907","DOI":"10.1016\/j.idcr.2020.e00907","article-title":"Meningitis from invasive Streptococcus agalactiae in a healthy young adult","volume":"21","author":"Douedi","year":"2020","journal-title":"IDCases"},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Chaiwarith, R., Jullaket, W., Bunchoo, M., Nuntachit, N., Sirisanthana, T., and Supparatpinyo, K. (2011). Streptococcus agalactiae in adults at Chiang Mai University Hospital: A retrospective study. BMC Infect. Dis., 11.","DOI":"10.1186\/1471-2334-11-149"},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"967","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jiac.2021.02.010","article-title":"Clinical manifestations and prognostic factors for Streptococcus agalactiae bacteremia among nonpregnant adults in Thailand","volume":"27","author":"Vasikasin","year":"2021","journal-title":"J. Infect. Chemother."},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e1","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cmi.2020.09.037","article-title":"Invasive group B Streptococcus infections in non-pregnant adults: A retrospective study, France, 2007\u20132019","volume":"27","author":"Vuillemin","year":"2021","journal-title":"Clin. Microbiol. Infect."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Diaz, M.H., Waller, J.L., Napoliello, R.A., Islam, S., Wolff, B.J., Burken, D.J., Holden, R.L., Srinivasan, V., Arvay, M., and McGee, L. (2013). Optimization of Multiple Pathogen Detection Using the TaqMan Array Card: Application for a Population-Based Study of Neonatal Infection. PLoS ONE, 8.","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0066183"},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Wood, D.E., and Salzberg, S.L. (2014). Kraken: Ultrafast metagenomic sequence classification using exact alignments. Genome Biol., 15.","DOI":"10.1186\/gb-2014-15-3-r46"},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Brettin, T., Davis, J.J., Disz, T., Edwards, R.A., Gerdes, S., Olsen, G.J., Olson, R., Overbeek, R., Parrello, B., and Pusch, G.D. (2015). RASTtk: A modular and extensible implementation of the RAST algorithm for building custom annotation pipelines and annotating batches of genomes. Sci. Rep., 5.","DOI":"10.1038\/srep08365"},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1388","DOI":"10.1128\/JCM.03142-15","article-title":"Capsular Typing Method for Streptococcus agalactiae Using Whole-Genome Sequence Data","volume":"54","author":"Sheppard","year":"2016","journal-title":"J. Clin. Microbiol."},{"key":"ref_24","first-page":"604","article-title":"The epidemiology of group B streptococcal colonization in pregnancy. Vaginal Infections and Prematurity Study Group","volume":"77","author":"Regan","year":"1991","journal-title":"Obs. Gynecol."},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"S200","DOI":"10.1093\/cid\/cix664","article-title":"Estimates of the Burden of Group B Streptococcal Disease Worldwide for Pregnant Women, Stillbirths, and Children","volume":"65","author":"Seale","year":"2017","journal-title":"Clin. Infect. Dis."},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1112","DOI":"10.1001\/jama.1991.03470080082034","article-title":"Invasive group B streptococcal disease in adults. A population-based study in metropolitan Atlanta","volume":"266","author":"Schwartz","year":"1991","journal-title":"JAMA"},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1807","DOI":"10.1056\/NEJM199306243282503","article-title":"A population-based assessment of invasive disease due to group B Streptococcus in nonpregnant adults","volume":"328","author":"Farley","year":"1993","journal-title":"N. Engl. J. Med."},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"556","DOI":"10.1086\/322696","article-title":"Group B streptococcal disease in nonpregnant adults","volume":"33","author":"Farley","year":"2001","journal-title":"Clin. Infect. Dis."},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Crespo-Ortiz, M.d.P., Casta\u00f1eda-Ramirez, C.R., Recalde-Bola\u00f1os, M., and V\u00e9lez-Londo\u00f1o, J.D. (2014). Emerging trends in invasive and noninvasive isolates of Streptococcus agalactiae in a Latin American hospital: A 17-year study. BMC Infect. Dis., 14.","DOI":"10.1186\/1471-2334-14-428"},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"46","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijid.2015.04.006","article-title":"Invasive Group B Streptococcal Disease in Non-pregnant Adults, R\u00e9union Island, 2011","volume":"35","author":"Camuset","year":"2015","journal-title":"Int. J. Infect. Dis."},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"479","DOI":"10.1001\/jamainternmed.2018.7269","article-title":"Epidemiology of Invasive Group B Streptococcal Infections Among Nonpregnant Adults in the United States, 2008\u20132016","volume":"179","author":"Watkins","year":"2019","journal-title":"JAMA Intern. Med."},{"key":"ref_32","first-page":"e31077","article-title":"Invasive Streptococcus agalactiae Disease With Meningitis and Septic Arthritis in a Non-pregnant Patient","volume":"14","author":"Coelho","year":"2022","journal-title":"Cureus"},{"key":"ref_33","first-page":"891","article-title":"Meningitis by Streptococcus agalactiae secondary to otitis media","volume":"111","author":"Peechakara","year":"2018","journal-title":"Qjm Int. J. Med."},{"key":"ref_34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e933093","DOI":"10.12659\/AJCR.933093","article-title":"Group B Streptococcus Meningitis Associated with Acute Otitis Media in an Adult Patient","volume":"22","author":"Villareal","year":"2021","journal-title":"Am. J. Case Rep."},{"key":"ref_35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Ma, J., Zhang, Z., Pan, Z., Bai, Q., Zhong, X., Zhu, Y., Zhang, Y., Wu, Z., Liu, G., and Yao, H. (2020). Streptococcus suis Uptakes Carbohydrate Source from Host Glycoproteins by N-glycans Degradation System for Optimal Survival and Full Virulence during Infection. Pathogens, 9.","DOI":"10.3390\/pathogens9050387"},{"key":"ref_36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Vasilyeva, A., Sanches, I.S., Florindo, C., and Dmitriev, A. (2015). Natural Mutations in Streptococcus agalactiae Resulting in Abrogation of \u03b2 Antigen Production. PLoS ONE, 10.","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0128426"},{"key":"ref_37","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Chen, C.-L., Cheng, M.-H., Kuo, C.-F., Cheng, Y.-L., Li, M.-H., Chang, C.-P., Wu, J.-J., Anderson, R., Wang, S., and Tsai, P.-J. (2018). Dextromethorphan Attenuates NADPH Oxidase-Regulated Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3\u03b2 and NF-\u03baB Activation and Reduces Nitric Oxide Production in Group A Streptococcal Infection. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother., 62.","DOI":"10.1128\/AAC.02045-17"},{"key":"ref_38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Gizachew, M., Tiruneh, M., Moges, F., Adefris, M., Tigabu, Z., and Tessema, B. (2020). Molecular characterization of Streptococcus agalactiae isolated from pregnant women and newborns at the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia. BMC Infect. Dis., 20.","DOI":"10.1186\/s12879-020-4776-7"}],"container-title":["Microorganisms"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2076-2607\/13\/5\/978\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,9]],"date-time":"2025-10-09T17:21:03Z","timestamp":1760030463000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2076-2607\/13\/5\/978"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,24]]},"references-count":38,"journal-issue":{"issue":"5","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,5]]}},"alternative-id":["microorganisms13050978"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/microorganisms13050978","relation":{},"ISSN":["2076-2607"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2076-2607","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,24]]}}}