Molecular and phenotypic characterization of invasive group B streptococcus strains from infants in Norway 2006-2007.

Multilocus sequence typing of an almost complete collection of invasive group B streptococcus (GBS) strains from infants in Norway, conducted in 2006-2007, revealed 27 sequence types (ST), of which 23 clustered into five clonal complexes. The case fatality rate of invasive GBS disease in infants was 16/98 (16.3%). Type V strains were predominant among strains resistant to erythromycin and clindamycin (11/18; 61.1%). All type V strains from fatal cases (5/16) were ST1, resistant to erythromycin and clindamycin, and belonged to three pulsed-field gel electrophoresis-clusters. Further analysis of virulence characteristics of these apparently highly virulent subtypes of type V, ST1 GBS strains is warranted.