Article
Infectious Diseases
Lei Yue, Haiying Liu
Summary: Late-onset Group B Streptococcus (GBS) meningitis occurred in two Chinese families, involving a set of dizygotic twins and a pair of compatriot siblings. GBS strains of serotype III CC17 were identified with high homology within each family, and the siblings' isolates matched their mother's carriage. The siblings developed symptoms days after close contact with their index cases, but received prompt diagnosis and treatment, resulting in better outcomes compared to the index patients who had brain damage and severe sequelae.
INFECTION AND DRUG RESISTANCE
(2023)
Article
Pediatrics
Gilad Sherman, Gabriella S. Lamb, Craig D. Platt, Michael R. Wessels, Sopio Chochua, Mari M. Nakamura
Summary: We report a case of late-onset GBS meningitis in identical twins, which has not been reported before. The clinical presentations of the two infants were highly similar, with seizures and fever. The twins showed improvement after antimicrobial and antiepileptic therapy.
CLINICAL PEDIATRICS
(2023)
Review
Immunology
Konstantinos Karampatsas, Hannah Davies, Maren Mynarek, Nick Andrews, Paul T. Heath, Kirsty Le Doare
Summary: Prematurity/low birth weight and maternal colonization are major risk factors for late-onset Group B streptococcal infection. Future vaccine studies should identify the optimal time for vaccination during pregnancy to protect preterm infants.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Lubna Hamdan, Simon Vandekar, Andrew J. Spieker, Herdi Rahman, Danielle Ndi, Emily S. Shekarabi, Jyotsna Thota, Danielle A. Rankin, Zaid Haddadin, Tiffanie Markus, David M. Aronoff, William Schaffner, Jennifer A. Gaddy, Natasha B. Halasa
Summary: The study found racial disparities in rates of early-onset and late-onset GBS disease among infants, with black infants showing significant decreasing temporal trends in both EOGBS and LOGBS over the past decade in Tennessee. In contrast, there were no changes noted among white infants. Additional studies are needed to further characterize these disparities and identify factors influencing them.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Ziyaad Dangor, Anna C. Seale, Vuyelwa Baba, Gaurav Kwatra
Summary: Invasive group B streptococcal (GBS) disease is a significant problem in newborns, especially in African countries where preventive strategies are limited. The high mortality and serious neurodevelopmental impairments caused by GBS emphasize the need for a maternal vaccine. Ongoing clinical trials are evaluating the safety and efficacy of hexavalent polysaccharide protein conjugate and Alpha family surface protein vaccines.
FRONTIERS IN PUBLIC HEALTH
(2023)
Review
Microbiology
Mahin Delara, Nirma Khatri Vadlamudi, Manish Sadarangani
Summary: Group B Streptococcus is a bacterium that can cause infections in pregnant women and newborns, resulting in adverse outcomes. Current preventive measures include intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis, but it is not effective for all cases. Probiotics and immunization in pregnancy show promising results in preventing Group B Streptococcus infections. Challenges in developing GBS vaccines include understanding the optimal timing of administration and potential serotype switching.
Article
Immunology
Mirjam Freudenhammer, Konstantinos Karampatsas, Kirsty Le Doare, Fabian Lander, Jakob Armann, Daniel Acero Moreno, Margaret Boyle, Horst Buxmann, Ruth Campbell, Victoria Chalker, Robert Cunney, Lorraine Doherty, Eleri Davies, Androulla Efstratiou, Roland Elling, Matthias Endmann, Jochen Essers, Roland Hentschel, Christine E. Jones, Steffen Kallsen, Georgia Kapatai, Marcus Kruger, Shamez Ladhani, Theresa Lamagni, Diane Lindsay, Mary Meehan, Catherine P. O'Sullivan, Darshana Patel, Arlene J. Reynolds, Claudia Roll, Sven Schulzke, Andrew Smith, Anja Stein, Axel von der Wense, Egbert Voss, Christian Wieg, Christoph Hartel, Paul T. Heath, Philipp Henneke
Summary: The risk of iGBS is higher among infants from multiple births if one infant has already developed GBS disease. In recurrent cases, the interval of onset of iGBS between siblings is longer. Disturbances of the individual microbiome are suggested to be associated with recurrent GBS infections.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Luca Bedetti, Francesca Miselli, Chiara Minotti, Giuseppe Latorre, Sabrina Loprieno, Alessandra Foglianese, Nicola Laforgia, Barbara Perrone, Matilde Ciccia, Maria Grazia Capretti, Chiara Giugno, Vittoria Rizzo, Daniele Merazzi, Silvia Fanaro, Lucia Taurino, Rita Maria Pulvirenti, Silvia Orlandini, Cinzia Auriti, Cristina Haass, Laura Ligi, Giulia Vellani, Chryssoula Tzialla, Cristina Tuoni, Daniele Santori, Mariachiara China, Lorenza Baroni, Silvia Nider, Federica Visintini, Lidia Decembrino, Giangiacomo Nicolini, Roberta Creti, Elena Pellacani, Arianna Dondi, Marcello Lanari, Belinda Benenati, Giacomo Biasucci, Lucia Gambini, Licia Lugli, Alberto Berardi
Summary: This study evaluated the rates of lumbar puncture in infants with culture-proven sepsis. The results showed that lumbar puncture was infrequently performed after antibiotic initiation, leading to a reduced ability to identify the pathogen in cerebrospinal fluid culture. Polymerase chain reaction increased the probability of positive results compared to microbiological culture.
Article
Immunology
Li Zhang, Wen-Juan Kang, Lei Zhu, Li-Jun Xu, Chao Guo, Xin-Hua Zhang, Qing-Hua Liu, Lan Ma
Summary: Group B streptococcus (GBS) is a leading cause of serious infections in infants. The ST10 strain, particularly type Ib/ST10, is responsible for a significant proportion of infant invasive GBS infections in China, leading to serious clinical complications. Continued monitoring and research on this microbiological strain is crucial for understanding and addressing the ongoing emergence of multi-drug resistant GBS isolates.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Microbiology
Anna Furuta, Alyssa Brokaw, Gygeria Manuel, Matthew Dacanay, Lauren Marcell, Ravin Seepersaud, Lakshmi Rajagopal, Kristina Adams Waldorf
Summary: Group B streptococci (GBS) are bacteria that can cause serious infections in newborns, leading to significant neurodevelopmental injury and disability.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Infectious Diseases
Alberto Berardi, Viola Trevisani, Antonella Di Caprio, Jenny Bua, Mariachiara China, Barbara Perrone, Rossella Pagano, Laura Lucaccioni, Silvia Fanaro, Lorenzo Lughetti, Licia Lugli, Roberta Creti
Summary: Group B streptococcus (GBS) infection remains a leading cause of sepsis, pneumonia, and meningitis in infants, with early onset cases decreasing due to widespread use of intrapartum antibiotics, leading to late-onset infections as common presentation. The pathogenesis, mode of transmission, and risk factors for LOGBS are unclear, hindering effective prevention efforts.
INFECTION AND DRUG RESISTANCE
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Kai-Qian Kam, Koh Cheng Thoon, Wen Sim Nancy Tee, Michelle Lay Teng Ang, Natalie Woon Hui Tan, Kee Thai Yeo, Jiahui Li, Chia Yin Chong
Summary: The study found that the incidence of LOD remained higher than EOD in the cohort. A GBS vaccine targeting the major causative serotypes identified in the study could potentially reduce the overall burden of GBS disease in the country.
BMC INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Rie Chida, Shinichiro Morichi, Yusuke Watanabe, Gaku Yamanaka
Summary: Bacterial meningitis in infants is a life-threatening illness that can cause serious neurological sequelae. The current diagnostic gold standard is to isolate bacteria from cerebrospinal fluid through culture or molecular diagnostics. In some cases, timely antibiotic therapy can be introduced even in the absence of pleocytosis and bacterial detection on smear at the initial CSF analysis. This case report presents a late-onset group B Streptococcus serotype Ib meningitis case.
CUREUS JOURNAL OF MEDICAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Review
Microbiology
Teresa Tavares, Liliana Pinho, Elva Bonifacio Andrade
Summary: Neonatal bacterial meningitis caused by Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is a severe disease associated with high mortality and neurological disability. Maternal colonization with GBS is the main risk factor for neonatal invasive disease. Despite preventive measures and improved neonatal care, the incidence and morbidity of GBS meningitis have not decreased. Many survivors suffer from complex neurological or neuropsychiatric sequelae.
CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY REVIEWS
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Mina Chishiki, Hayato Go, Kisei Endo, Nahoko Katayama Ueda, Hiroki Takehara, Yoshiyuki Namai
Summary: This case report describes a female infant with late-onset GBS meningitis who underwent two exchange transfusions to recover from septic shock but still experienced severe neurological sequelae. The need for an effective preventive strategy to address the high fatality and sequelae rates associated with neonatal GBS meningitis is highlighted.
TOHOKU JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Editorial Material
Infectious Diseases
Robert Cohen, Federico Martinon-Torres, Inga Posiuniene, Bernd Benninghoff, Kyu-Bin Oh, Dirk Poelaert
Summary: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has caused healthcare systems to be overwhelmed, making it crucial to prioritize high levels of pediatric vaccination against vaccine-preventable diseases like rotavirus gastroenteritis. Evidence shows that currently available rotavirus vaccines in Europe are highly effective, reducing hospitalizations and deaths. Additionally, there is no overall increase in intussusception and may even be a reduction in cases with high rotavirus vaccine coverage in the first year of life.
INFECTIOUS DISEASES AND THERAPY
(2023)
Review
Infectious Diseases
Didier Pinquier, Pascal Crepey, Pierre Tissieres, Astrid Vabret, Jean-Christophe Roze, Francois Dubos, Fabienne Cahn-Sellem, Etienne Javouhey, Robert Cohen, Catherine Weil-Olivier
Summary: The highly contagious respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is responsible for a significant number of hospitalizations in children under 5 years old in France. Strategies such as maternal vaccination and administration of long-acting monoclonal antibodies are being investigated to protect young children from RSV infection.
INFECTIOUS DISEASES AND THERAPY
(2023)
Editorial Material
Pediatrics
Gottfried Huss, Shimon Barak, Laura Reali, Christine Magendie, Angel Carrasco-Sanz, Eli Somekh, Robert Cohen, Corinne Levy, Leyla Namazova-Baranova, Mehmet Vural, Massimo Pettoello-Mantovani
JOURNAL OF PEDIATRICS
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Deidre Wilkins, Annefleur C. Langedijk, Robert Jan Lebbink, Christopher Morehouse, Michael E. Abram, Bahar Ahani, Anastasia A. Aksyuk, Eugenio Baraldi, Tyler Brady, Albert Tian Chen, Hsin Chi, Eun Hwa Choi, Robert Cohen, Daria M. Danilenko, Vancheswaran Gopalakrishnan, Anne Greenough, Terho Heikkinen, Mitsuaki Hosoya, Christian Keller, Elizabeth J. Kelly, Leyla Kragten-Tabatabaie, Federico Martinon-Torres, Abiel Homero Mascarenas de los Santos, Marta C. Nunes, Maria Angelica Palomino, Jesse Papenburg, Jeffrey M. Pernica, Peter Richmond, Renato Stein, Kevin M. Tuffy, Charl Verwey, Mark T. Esser, David E. Tabor, Louis J. Bont, INFORM RSV Study Grp
Summary: This study evaluated the geotemporal distribution of RSV A and RSV B between 2015 and 2021 and functionally characterized the nirsevimab binding-site substitutions during this period. The results showed that the nirsevimab binding site remained highly conserved, with only a few rare mutations affecting nirsevimab neutralization emerging between 2016 and 2021. The genetic diversity of RSV fusion protein was lower compared to influenza hemagglutinin and SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins.
LANCET INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Pediatrics
Morgane Jaloustre, Robert Cohen, Valerie Biran, Fabrice Decobert, Richard Layese, Etienne Audureau, Nolwenn Le Sache, Marie Chevallier, Mohamed Riadh Boukhris, Pascal Bolot, Laurence Caeymaex, Manon Tauzin
Summary: This study aims to identify factors associated with severe morbidity and mortality after healthcare-associated primary bloodstream infections (BSIs) in neonates in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). The results showed that corrected gestational age <28 weeks, fetal growth restriction, and proven pathogen-related BSI were associated with severe morbidity/mortality. In possible BSIs, a lower risk of severe morbidity was associated with S. epidermidis compared to other CoNS.
FRONTIERS IN PEDIATRICS
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Alexis Rybak, Corinne Levy, Naim Ouldali, Stephane Bonacorsi, Stephane Bechet, Jean-Francois Delobbe, Christophe Batard, Isabelle Donikian, Marie Goldrey, Jessica Assouline, Robert Cohen, Emmanuelle Varon
Summary: Epidemiological surveillance of nasopharyngeal pneumococcal carriage is important for monitoring serotype distribution and antibiotic resistance. A surveillance study in France analyzed pneumococcal carriage, antibiotic susceptibility, and serotype distribution in children with acute otitis media. The study found stable overall carriage rates and a rebound of penicillin non-susceptibility during the late PCV13 period. Non-PCV13 serotypes accounted for the majority of strains and the next generation PCVs may help decrease antibiotic resistance.
Editorial Material
Infectious Diseases
Didier Pinquier, Pascal Crepey, Pierre Tissieres, Astrid Vabret, Jean-Christophe Roze, Francois Dubos, Fabienne Cahn-Sellem, Etienne Javouhey, Robert Cohen, Catherine Weil-Olivier
INFECTIOUS DISEASES AND THERAPY
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Gabriel Lignieres, Alexis Rybak, Corinne Levy, Andre Birgy, Stephane Bechet, Stephane Bonacorsi, Robert Cohen, Fouad Madhi
Summary: This study reports the clinical and biological characteristics of meningitis caused by ESBL-producing E. coli in infants. Data from a network of pediatric wards and microbiology laboratories in France were analyzed. The study suggests that Meropenem is the treatment of choice for ESBL-producing E. coli meningitis in children, and should be initiated within 48 hours and continued for at least 21 days.
JAC-ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Jeremie F. Cohen, Alexis Rybak, Andreas Werner, Fabienne Kochert, Fabienne Cahn-Sellem, Nathalie Gelbert, Frankois Vie Le Sage, Christophe Batard, Stephane Bechet, Hippolyte Corbaux, Bruno Frandji, Corinne Levy, Robert Cohen
Summary: This study evaluated the burden of noninvasive group A Streptococcus (GAS) infections in ambulatory pediatrics before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in France. The incidence of GAS diseases significantly decreased after the implementation of COVID-19 mitigation measures in March 2020 and significantly increased after the relaxation of these measures in March 2022. This highlights the important impact of COVID-19 control measures on the epidemiology of noninvasive GAS infections.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Robert Cohen, Emmanuelle Varon, Philippe Bidet, Jeremie F. Cohen, Stephane Bechet, Vincent Couloigner, Anne Sylvestre Michot, Cecile Guiheneuf, Stephane Bonacorsi, Corinne Levy
Summary: Group A Streptococcus is a leading cause of otorrhea. Rapid antigen tests showed excellent sensitivity, 97.3% (95% confidence interval: 90.7%-99.7%), and specificity, 100% (95% confidence interval: 98.0%-100%), in 256 children with otorrhea. Early diagnosis could be useful during a period of increasing group A Streptococcus infections.
PEDIATRIC INFECTIOUS DISEASE JOURNAL
(2023)
Letter
Infectious Diseases
Robert Cohen, Philippe Bidet, Emmanuelle Varon, Stephane Bechet, Jeremie F. Cohen, Stephane Bonacorsi, Corinne Levy
INFECTIOUS DISEASES NOW
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
C. Levy, R. Cohen, S. Bechet, S. Ravilly, A. Werner, O. Romain, N. Guiso
Summary: This study analyzed pertussis and parapertussis cases from 2014 to 2022 and found that the number of children below 6 years of age with a 2+1 vaccination schedule was higher than those with a 3+1 schedule. The main source of contamination was either adults or adolescents.
INFECTIOUS DISEASES NOW
(2023)
Review
Infectious Diseases
Robert Cohen, Loic de Pontual, Yves Gillet, Josette Raymond
Summary: This section summarizes empirical antimicrobial treatment for less frequent bacterial species causing infection, whether it is community-acquired or healthcare-associated. It considers their natural and most common acquired resistance and relevant pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic parameters, providing advice from infectious disease specialists or microbiologists.
INFECTIOUS DISEASES NOW
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Salim Ferrani, Thierry Prazuck, Stephane Bechet, Fabien Lesne, Robert Cohen, Corinne Levy
Summary: The study compared the performance of a rapid antigen diagnostic test using a self-collected anterior nasal swab and multiplex RT-PCR in pediatric respiratory infections. The triplex test showed high sensitivity and specificity for detecting SARS-CoV-2, RSV, and influenza, suggesting it as a valuable tool for accurate diagnosis in most cases.
INFECTIOUS DISEASES NOW
(2023)
