First case of penicillin-resistant Streptococcus agalactiae (group B Streptococcus) isolated from an adult patient in Italy, February 2026
A penicillin-resistant group B streptococcal (GBS) strain was identified in Italy, after isolation from the blood culture of a patient in their 80s with comorbidities. The isolate was multidrug-resistant and demonstrated by genome sequencing to be of serotype Ia, sequence type 23, and to possess the alp1 gene. Known and new point mutations were detected in the penicillin-binding-protein genes 2a and 2x. Although sporadic, penicillin-resistance in GBS is a serious concern for prophylaxis and therapy, so continued GBS surveillance remains important.
Authors
- Ilaria Marani
- A. Zappavigna
- Giovanni Gherardi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6010-3157)
- Gabriella Tocci
- Monica Imperi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0886-1537)
- Anna Teresa Palamara (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8330-4381)
- Roberta Creti (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4290-9039)
- Giuliana Lo Cascio (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3971-2008)
- Giovanna Alfarone (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3567-9266)
- Filippo Trapani
- Nicolò Rossi
Institutions
- University of Parma (IT)
- Istituto Superiore di Sanità (IT)
- Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale Piacenza (IT)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Eurosurveillance
- Published
- 2026-05-21
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.es.2026.31.20.2600374
- Primary Topic
- Neonatal and Maternal Infections
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00