Abstract

Streptococcus agalactiae is a Gram-positive bacterium associated with fetal death and premature birth in pregnant women. In addition, it is the main etiological agent associated with morbidity and mortality during the first months of life. To the date, no vaccines have been licensed, and the pathogen-host interaction has not been completely described. We used a Chilean strain of Streptococcus agalactiae isolated from newborn with septicemia. We performed the partial microbiological and molecular characterization. That bacterial strain was used to develop a model of bacterial colonization of the vaginal tract in the mouse model. Our model generated a stable colonization for at least 16 days, in addition, anatomical evidence of bacterial infection was observed in the vaginal tract, moreover, the presence of this bacterium in the lung, spleen, and kidney associated to bacteraemia was observed Our animal vaginal colonization model has the potential to be used in the evaluation of new vaccines, diagnostic methodologies, and advance in understanding the mechanisms of pathogenicity of this bacterium.