A novel alpha-hemolytic Streptococcus species (Streptococcus azizii sp. nov.) associated with meningoencephalitis in naïve weanling C57BL/6 mice Journal Article
| Authors: | Braden, G. C.; Arbona, R. R.; Lepherd, M.; Monette, S.; Toma, A.; Fox, J. G.; Dewhirst, F. E.; Lipman, N. S. |
| Article Title: | A novel alpha-hemolytic Streptococcus species (Streptococcus azizii sp. nov.) associated with meningoencephalitis in naïve weanling C57BL/6 mice |
| Abstract: | During 1 year, experimentally naïve C57BL/6NCrl weanlings born to timed-pregnant dams from a single vendor demonstrated markedly increased mortality associated with runting, abnormal gait, and decreased activity. Gram-positive, aerobic, α-hemolytic, coccoid bacteria were isolated from the meninges (n = 16), blood (n = 1), and kidneys (n = 1) of clinically affected weanlings (n = 15); from the uterus (n = 1), meninges (n = 1), and oral cavity (n = 2) of 3 dams; and from the meninges and oral cavity of a clinically affected 86-d-old mouse in the same colony. Multifocal, necrosuppurative meningoencephalitis and ventriculitis with intralesional gram-positive coccoid bacteria were present in all but 2 affected animals. The bacterium also was isolated from the oral cavity of an asymptomatic timed-pregnant dam (1 of 23) from the same vendor and from 8 mice at the vendor's facility. All isolates (n = 25) were identified by using 2 semiautomated rapid-identification systems, one of which consistently identified the causative bacterium as Aerococcus viridans 2 (n = 12) or 3 (n = 13), with probabilities of 55.7% to 98.3%. The bacterium did not grow in 6.5% NaCl at 10 °C, thus suggesting a Streptococcus species. Partial 16S rRNA sequencing of 4 isolates suggested S. hyointestinalis (probability, 93.4%) and S. gallinaceus (99.5%). Full 16S rRNA sequences for 3 isolates identified the bacterium as a novel Streptococcus species most closely related to S. acidominimus strain LGM (96.5%) and Streptococcus species strain Smarlab 3301444 (96.3%) and for which we propose the name S. azizii. Copyright © 2015 by the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science. |
| Keywords: | histopathology; mortality; nonhuman; polymerase chain reaction; mouse; electron microscopy; animal tissue; spleen; embryo; vagina; animal experiment; animal model; bacterial strain; blood; kidney; bacterium isolate; physical activity; rna 16s; bacterium identification; tremor; sodium chloride; uterus; mouth cavity; bacterium isolation; rna sequence; rectum; bacterial growth; hyperactivity; gait disorder; bacterial rna; meningoencephalitis; meninx; alpha hemolytic streptococcus; male; female; article; aerococcus viridans; brain ventriculitis; streptococcus acidominimus; streptococcus azizii; streptococcus gallinaceus; streptococcus hyointestinalis |
| Journal Title: | Comparative Medicine |
| Volume: | 65 |
| Issue: | 3 |
| ISSN: | 1532-0820 |
| Publisher: | American Association for Laboratory Animal Science |
| Date Published: | 2015-07-01 |
| Start Page: | 186 |
| End Page: | 195 |
| Language: | English |
| PROVIDER: | scopus |
| PMCID: | PMC4485627 |
| PUBMED: | 26141443 |
| DOI/URL: | |
| Notes: | Export Date: 2 September 2015 -- Source: Scopus |
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