Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-dsjbd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T10:06:30.993Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Characterization of Streptococcus zooepidemicus (Lancefield group C) from human and selected animal infections

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 October 2009

Michael Barnham
Affiliation:
Department of Microbiology, Friarage Hospital, Northallerton, North Yorkshire DL6 1JG
Graham Cole
Affiliation:
Department of Microbiology, Friarage Hospital, Northallerton, North Yorkshire DL6 1JG
Androulla Efstratiou
Affiliation:
Division of Hospital Infection, Central Public Health Laboratory, 61, Colindale Avenue, London NW9 5HT
John R. Tagg
Affiliation:
Department of Microbiology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
Stephen A. Skjold
Affiliation:
Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases, Medical School, Box 296 Mayo Memorial Building, 420 Delaware Street S.E. Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

We assembled an international collection of strains from sporadic and epidemic human infection with Streptococcus zooepidemicus (Lancefield group C) for laboratory study. Cultural and physiological characteristics of the isolates were determined, including biotyping with the API 20 STREP test kit and susceptibility testing with penicillin, erythromycin and tetracycline. The strains were examined for bacteriocin production and sensitivity and typed with a specially developed group-C streptococcal bacteriophage system incorporating a panel of 14 phages. Results of these tests gave useful discrimination between many of the strains: differences were shown between each of the major outbreak strains, including those complicated by post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis.

Serious group C streptococcal infection may be caused by S. zooepidemicus and isolates should be identified to species level; the application of a typing scheme such as this may help to distinguish epidemiological patterns of infection.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1987

References

REFERENCES

Barnham, M. (1987). In pursuit of the ‘new nephritogenic streptococcus’. (Submitted for publication.)Google Scholar
Barnham, M., Ljungoren, A. & McIntyre, M. (1987). Human infection with Streptococcus zooepidemicus: three case reports. Epidemiology and Infection 98, 183190.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Barnham, M., Thornton, T. J. & Lange, K. (1983). Nephritis caused by Streptococcus zooepidemicus (Lancefield group C). Lancet i, 945948.Google Scholar
Bryans, J. T. & Moore, B. O. (1972). Group C streptococcal infections of the horse. In Streptococci and Streptococcal Diseases: Recognition, Understanding and Management (ed. Wannamaker, L. W. and Matsen, J. M.), pp. 327338. New York: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Colman, G. & Ball, L. C. (1984). Identification of streptococci in a medical laboratory. Journal of Applied Bacteriology 57, 114.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Duca, E., Teodorovici, G., Radu, C., Vita, A., Talasman-Niculescu, P., Bernescu, E., Feldi, C. & Rosca, V. (1969). A new nephritogenic streptococcus. Journal of Hygiene 67, 691698.Google ScholarPubMed
Efstratiou, A. (1983). The serotyping of hospital strains of streptococci belonging to Lancefield group C and group G. Journal of Hygiene 90, 7180.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Erickson, E. D. (1980). Streptococcosis. In CRC Handbook Series in Zoonoses, vol. II (ed. Steele, J. H.), pp. 6584. Boca Raton, Florida: CRC Press.Google Scholar
Ghoneim, A. T. M. & Cooke, E. M.(1980). Serious infection caused by group C streptococci. Journal of Clinical Pathology 33, 188190.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lancaster, L. J. & Sherris, J. C. (1960). An agar-diffusion grouping technic for beta hemolytic streptococci. American Journal of Clinical Pathology 34, 131132.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mihalcu, F., Vereanu, A., Andronescu, C. & Dumitriu, S. (1982). Group C streptococci epidemiological markers and implications in human pathology. Archives Roumaines de Pathologie Experimentale et de Microbiologie 41, 123131.Google Scholar
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (1983). Group C streptococcal infections associated with eating homemade cheese. CDC Atlanta 32, 510516.Google Scholar
Mulder, C. J. J., Kraayenbrinck, K. & Zanen, H. C. (1984). Group C streptococcal (Streptococcus zooepidemicus) neonatal meningitis. In Neonatal Meningitis in the Netherlands (thesis: Mulder, C. J. J.), pp 109112. Amsterdam.Google Scholar
Parker, M. T. (1983). Streptococcus and Lactobacillus. In Topley and Wilson's Principles of Bacteriology, Virology and Immunity, vol. 2 (ed. Wilson, G. S., Miles, A. A. and Parker, M. T.), pp. 173217. London: Edward Arnold.Google Scholar
Schofield, C. R. & Tago, J. R. (1983). Bacteriocin-like activity of group B and group C streptococci of human and of animal origin. Journal of Hygiene 90, 718.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sharp, J. C. M., Paterson, G. M. & Barrett, N. J. (1985). Pasteurisation and the control of milkbone infection in Britain. British Medical Journal 291, 463464.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Skjold, S. A., Quie, P. G., Fries, L. A., Barnham, M. & Cleary, P. P. (1987). DNA fingerprinting of Streptococcus zooepidemicus: an aid to epidemiological study. Journal of Infectious Diseases. In press.Google Scholar
Skjold, S. A. & Wannamaker, L. W. (1976). Method for phage typing group A type 49 streptococci. Journal of Clinical Microbiology 4, 232238.Google Scholar
Skjold, S. A., Wannamaker, L. W., Johnson, D. R. & Margolis, H. S. (1983). Type 49 Streptococcus pyogenes: phage subtypes as epidemiological markers in isolates from skin sepsis and acute glomerulonephritis. Journal of Hygiene 91, 7176.Google Scholar
Stableforth, A. W. (1959). Streptococcal diseases. In Infectious Diseases of Animals, vol. 2 (ed. Stableforth, A. W. and Galloway, I. A.), pp 589650. London: Butterworths Scientific Publications.Google Scholar
Tagg, J. R. & Bannister, L. V. (1979). ‘Fingerprinting’ beta-haemolytic streptococci by their production of and sensitivity to bacteriocine-like inhibitors. Journal of Medical Microbiology 12, 397411.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed