Group B Streptococcus and Perinatality in the South of Tunisia: Epidemiology, Serotype Distribution, and Antibiotic Susceptibility

Abstract

IntroductionIn the lack of updated Tunisian epidemiological data, we sought to describe the epidemiology of Group B Streptococcus (GBS) in pregnant women and newborns.Materials and methodsA retrospective analysis of GBS neonatal invasive infections and a cross-sectional study evaluating the prevalence of maternal GBS colonization were conducted. GBS isolates were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility, serotyped, and assessed for the appurtenance to the hypervirulent ST17 clone.ResultsOf 98 neonates with GBS, early-onset GBS disease (EOD) comprised 83.7 and 16.3% were late-onset GBS disease (LOD). The prevalence of maternal GBS colonization was 27%. All GBS isolates were susceptible to penicillin. Serotype III predominated (42.6%) for neonatal invasive infections. GBS isolates belonging to the ST17 sequence type were found only as serotype III.ConclusionThis study documents the frequency of GBS EOD, the high rate of maternal GBS colonization, and the predominance of the hypervirulent clone type III/ST17 in infants.