SPECIATION OF PRESUMPTIVE VIRIDANS STREPTOCOCCI FROM EARLY-ONSET NEONATAL SEPSIS

Twenty isolates resembling viridans streptococci, 16 from blood and fo ur from gastric aspirates, from 17 cases of early onset neonatal sepsi s were identified by the API20 Strep, Rapid ID 32 Strep and convention al tests plus hydrolysis of methylumbelliferyl glycoside substrates. N ineteen of the isolates were identified as species of viridans strepto cocci and one as a leuconostoc sp, Ten of the isolates were Streptococ cus oralis, three S, mitis biotype 1, two S, mitis biotype 2 and one e ach of S, sanguis, S, vestibularis, S, salivarius and S, intermedius, The Rapid ID 32 Strep and conventional plus methylumbelliferyl tests g ave the same species identity for 17 of the isolates. S, intermedius w as identified by the Rapid ID 32 Strep as S, constellatus and S, saliv arius as S, equinus, with S, salivarius at lower probability, The API2 0 Strep failed to identify S, vestibularis and identified S, salivariu s as S, defectivus. The absence of certain critical tests, including u rea hydrolysis, does not allow the API20 Strep to identify all the cur rently recognised species of viridans steptococci, The species distrib ution was unexpected and the incidence of S, oralis and other viridans streptococci in vaginal swabs from prenatal patients is being investi gated further.