Detection of Streptococcus gallolyticus and Four Other CRC- Associated Bacteria in Patient Stools Reveals a Potential “Driver” Role for Enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis

Streptococcus gallolyticus subspecies gallolyticus (SGG) is an opportunistic pathogen causing invasive infections in the elderly often associated with colon neoplasia. The prevalence of SGG in the stools of patients with normal colonoscopy (control) was compared with patients with colorectal adenomas (CRA) or with carcinomas (CRC) from stages I to IV. The presence of the pks island encoding colibactin as well as other CRC- associated bacteria such as toxicogenic Bacteroides fragilis, Fusobacterium nucleatum, and Parvimonas micra was also investigated.