Which organism is a common cause of neonatal sepsis and meningitis and shows CAMP test positive with arrow-shaped hemolysis and blue Hippurate hydrolysis?

Prepare for the CAMLPR Microbiology Test. Utilize flashcards and engaging multiple-choice questions, each equipped with descriptions and explanations. Ready yourself for an excellent performance!

Neonatal sepsis and meningitis are classically caused by group B Streptococcus, Streptococcus agalactiae, and this organism has a distinctive lab profile: it yields a positive CAMP test, where it enhances the hemolysis produced by Staphylococcus aureus to form an arrowhead-shaped zone of clearing near the colony. It also hydrolyzes hippurate, turning the Hippurate test blue. This combination—arrowhead CAMP hemolysis plus blue hippurate hydrolysis—is a hallmark of Streptococcus agalactiae and explains its prominence in newborn infections acquired during birth from a colonized mother.

Other organisms don’t fit these features. Streptococcus pyogenes (group A) is CAMP negative and hippurate negative and doesn’t show the arrowhead pattern. Streptococcus pneumoniae is typically alpha-hemolytic and does not exhibit CAMP-associated arrowhead hemolysis or blue hippurate. Enterococcus faecalis can cause neonatal infections but its identification relies on different tests (bile esculin positivity, growth in 6.5% NaCl) rather than CAMP/hippurate profiles.