Distribution Of Virulence Factors Genes And Their Association With Antibiotics Resistance In Streptococcus Agalactiae Isolated From Pregnant Women In Al Anbar City

Abstract

Group B streptococci (GBS) are globally recognized to cause adverse pregnancy outcomes, such as stillbirths and miscarriages, and
are one of the main causes of newborn sepsis and meningitis. The high resistance of GBS to antibiotics becomes difficult or
impossible to treat, becoming increasingly common, causing a global health crisis. It complicates their eradication, potentially
leading to the development of chronic infections. A total of 181 specimens were obtained from pregnant women. Out of these
specimens, 22 isolates were bacteriologically identified as S.agalactiae. They were collected from Al-Anbar Province hospitals.
Twenty-two isolates were identified as GBS depending on cultural and microscopical properties, automated (VITEK-2 system), and
molecular identification based on atr gene, which is an essential gene expressed isolates in all S.agalactiae. Polymerase chain reaction
(PCR) was used to detect the prevalence of virulence factors and antibiotic resistance genes; ermB gene was found in 22/22(100%),
hly gene in twenty-one isolates (95.45%), scpB also found in twenty-one isolates (95.45%), tet gene (95.45%), mefA gene
12/22(54.54%), Rib gene was found only in five isolates (22.72%), bca found in three isolates only (13.63%), bac not found in any
isolates(0%).