Genomic epidemiology, virulence and antimicrobial resistance of the multi-host pathogen Streptococcus canis. undefined

Streptococcus canis, a multi-host pathogen commonly isolated from dogs and cats, has been occasionally reported in severe cases of human infection. To address the gap in knowledge on its virulence and host tropism, we investigated S. canis genomic epidemiology and report the results of this analysis for the first time. We analysed 59 S. canis whole genome sequences (WGS) originating from a variety of host species, comprising 39 newly sequenced isolates from UK sources, along with all (n=20) publicly available genomes. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) phenotype was determined for all 39 available isolates. Genomes were screened for genetic determinants of resistance and virulence. We created a core single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) phylogeny and compared strain clustering to two existing genotyping schemes, multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) and S. canis M-like protein (SCM) gene-based typing. We investigated the dataset for signals of host adaptation using phylogenetic analysis, accessory genome clustering and pan-GWAS analysis.