Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is a leading cause of neonatal infections. The genitourinary and gastrointestinal tract of pregnant women are the main source of transmission to newborns. This work investigated the prevalence and characterized GBS from pregnant women in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, comparing the periods before (January 2019 to March 2020; 521) and during (May 2020 to March 2021; 285) the COVID-19 pandemic. GBS was detected in 10.8% of anovaginal samples. Considering scenarios before and during the pandemic, GBS colonization rate significantly decreased (13.8% vs. 5.3%; p = 0.0001). No clinical and sociodemographic aspect was associated with GBS carriage (p > 0.05). A total of 80%, 13.8% and 4.6% GBS strains were non-susceptible to tetracycline, erythromycin and clindamycin, respectively. Serotype Ia was the most frequent (47.7%), followed by V (23.1%), II (18.4%), III (7.7%) and Ib (3.1%). An increasing trend of serotypes Ib and V, as well as of antimicrobial resistance rates, and a decreasing trend of serotypes II and III, were observed after the pandemic onset, albeit not statistically significant (p > 0.05). The reduction in GBS colonization rates and alterations in GBS serotypes and resistance profiles during the pandemic were not due to changes in the sociodemographic profile of the population. Considering that control and preventive measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic onset have impacted other infectious diseases, these results shed light on the need for the continuous surveillance of GBS among pregnant women in the post-pandemic era.

Bacterial multiresistance to drugs is a rapidly growing global phenomenon. New resistance mechanisms have been described in different bacterial pathogens, threatening the effective treatment of even common infectious diseases. The problem worsens in infections associated with biofilms because, in addition to the pathogen’s multiresistance, the biofilm provides a barrier that prevents antimicrobial access. Several “non-antibiotic” drugs have antimicrobial activity, even though it is not their primary therapeutic purpose. However, due to the urgent need to develop effective antimicrobials to treat diseases caused by multidrug-resistant pathogens, there has been an increase in research into “non-antibiotic” drugs to offer an alternative therapy through the so-called drug repositioning or repurposing. The prospect of new uses for existing drugs has the advantage of reducing the time and effort required to develop new compounds. Moreover, many drugs are already well characterized regarding toxicity and pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic properties. Ebselen has shown promise for use as a repurposing drug for antimicrobial purposes. It is a synthetic organoselenium with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and cytoprotective activity. A very attractive factor for using ebselen is that, in addition to potent antimicrobial activity, its minimum inhibitory concentration is very low for microbial pathogens.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus (MRS) has been associated with neonatal infections, with colonization of the anovaginal tract being the main source of vertical transmission. The COVID-19 pandemic has altered the frequency of antibiotic usage, potentially contributing to changes in the dynamics of bacterial agents colonizing humans. Here we determined MRS colonization rates among pregnant individuals attending a single maternity in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil before (January 2019–March 2020) and during (May 2020–March 2021) the COVID-19 pandemic. Anovaginal samples (n = 806 [521 samples before and 285 during the pandemic]) were streaked onto chromogenic media. Colonies were identified by MALDI-TOF MS. Detection of mecA gene and SCCmec typing were assessed by PCR and antimicrobial susceptibility testing was done according to CLSI guidelines. After the onset of the pandemic, MRS colonization rates increased significantly (p < 0.05) from 8.6% (45) to 54.7% (156). Overall, 215 (26.6%) MRS isolates were detected, of which S. haemolyticus was the most prevalent species (MRSH, 84.2%; 181 isolates). SCCmec type V was the most frequent among MRS (63.3%; 136), and 31.6% (68) of MRS strains had a non-typeable SCCmec, due to new combinations of ccr and mecA complexes. Among MRS strains, 41.9% (90) were resistant to at least 3 different classes of antimicrobial agents, and 60% (54) of them were S. haemolyticus harboring SCCmec V. MRS colonization rates and the emergence of multidrug-resistant variants detected in this study indicate the need for continuing surveillance of this important pathogen within maternal and child populations.

Streptococcus agalactiae (Group B Streptococcus; GBS) is a leading cause of neonatal invasive disease worldwide. GBS can colonize the human gastrointestinal and genitourinary tracts, and the anovaginal colonization of pregnant women is the main source for neonatal infection. Streptococcus anginosus, in turn, can colonize the human upper respiratory, gastrointestinal, and genitourinary tracts but has rarely been observed causing disease. However, in the last years, S. anginosus has been increasingly associated with human infections, mainly in the bloodstream and gastrointestinal and genitourinary tracts. Although anovaginal screening for GBS is common during pregnancy, data regarding the anovaginal colonization of pregnant women by S. anginosus are still scarce. Here, we show that during the assessment of anovaginal GBS colonization rates among pregnant women living in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, S. anginosus was also commonly detected, and S. anginosus isolates presented a similar colony morphology and color pattern to GBS in chromogenic media. GBS was detected in 48 (12%) while S. anginosus was detected in 17 (4.3%) of the 399 anovaginal samples analyzed. The use of antibiotics during pregnancy and history of urinary tract infections and sexually transmitted infections were associated with the presence of S. anginosus. In turn, previous preterm birth was associated with the presence of GBS (p < 0.05). The correlation of GBS and S. anginosus with relevant clinical features of pregnant women in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, highlights the need for the further investigation of these important bacteria in relation to this special population.

A pandemia de COVID-19 e as consequentes restrições de circulação impostas por órgãos públicos e organizações internacionais de saúde intensificaram o uso de ferramentas digitais como meio de manter o diálogo entre a comunidade acadêmico-científica e a população. Paralelamente, observou-se um aumento expressivo na disseminação de informações falsas, sobretudo na internet, impulsionado pela ampla adesão às redes sociais. Nesse contexto, este projeto, desenvolvido por egressos do curso de Biomedicina da UNIRIO, teve como objetivo divulgar informações e promover o diálogo sobre arboviroses com a população, por meio da rede social Instagram, além de avaliar a eficácia dessa estratégia. Postagens em formato de imagem foram realizadas no perfil Mosquitando, entre abril e maio de 2021. Em seguida, foram analisados os dados de visualização e engajamento, bem como o número e o perfil dos seguidores, considerando localização, faixa etária e gênero. Os resultados indicaram maior participação de indivíduos jovens (18 a 24 anos), residentes no município do Rio de Janeiro (72,6%) e do gênero feminino (73,9%).

Universal screening of pregnant individuals followed by intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis is the most effective approach to prevent group B Streptococcus (GBS) neonatal infections. Traditional protocols for GBS detection in rectovaginal samples involve a pre-enrichment step using selective broth, followed by inoculation onto blood agar, but these methods can be labor-intensive, time-consuming, and costly in low-resource settings. Here, we compared the performance of conventional selective broth prior to plating (THB-NAG) with direct plating onto chromogenic media (CA) for GBS detection among 1,128 pregnant individuals in Brazil. Overall, GBS was detected in 7.8% (88) of samples. CA detected a significantly ( P < 0.0001) higher number of positive samples (6.5%; 73) when compared to THB-NAG (2.7%; 31). CA was also superior in inhibiting contaminant microbiota, was faster and more cost-effective, and showed high sensitivity and accuracy levels when compared to THB-NAG, although it had failed when samples had low GBS density. Adopting more feasible and cost-effective protocols, such as the CA method shown in this study, can lead to improved adhesion to the universal antenatal GBS screening and thus, to the prevention of early GBS disease in low-resource settings, such as Brazil. IMPORTANCE: Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is a leading cause of life-threatening neonatal infections. The recommended strategy to prevent GBS disease is based on GBS screening of pregnant individuals, followed by antibiotic prophylaxis. However, the standard laboratory method for GBS detection requires extended incubation time and may present challenges associated with costs and feasibility, making it difficult for routine implementation in low-resource settings. Additionally, the overgrowth of accompanying microbiota can hinder GBS detection, potentially reducing the method’s sensitivity. This creates barriers to effective prevention strategies. In this context, chromogenic media have emerged as a promising alternative, offering faster, simpler, and more accurate detection through color-based differentiation of colonies. However, this method has not been fully evaluated in local healthcare conditions in countries like Brazil. This study was undertaken to investigate whether chromogenic media could provide a more practical, affordable, and reliable option for GBS detection in routine prenatal care.