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Diagnosis and Treatment of Childhood Meningitis Caused by Streptococcus bovis Group

  • Pediatric Infectious Diseases (I Brook, Section Editor)
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Abstract

Streptococcus bovis is a rare, but important cause of bacterial meningitis in children. Since its discovery in the early 1970s, the pathogen has undergone multiple taxonomic changes producing four distinct subspecies today, the most prevalent of which is S. gallolyticus subsp pasteurianus in infants and children. While initially reported as sporadic case reports, there is a growing body of literature documenting invasive disease primarily in neonates and infants clinically indistinguishable from group B streptococcus. In this review, I discuss the taxonomic evolution of S. bovis meningitis and its subsequent clinical diagnosis, manifestations and treatment in children.

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  1. Boston Children’s Hospital, 300 Longwood Ave., Boston, MA, 02115, USA

    Sannya Vidyadhar Hede

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  1. Sannya Vidyadhar Hede
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Correspondence to Sannya Vidyadhar Hede.

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Dr. Hede declares no competing interests.

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This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by the author.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Pediatric Infectious Diseases

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Hede, S.V. Diagnosis and Treatment of Childhood Meningitis Caused by Streptococcus bovis Group. Curr Infect Dis Rep 18, 11 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11908-016-0519-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11908-016-0519-8

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