Abstract
IntroductionIn contrast to industrialized countries, until recently Group B Streptococcus (GBS) was infrequently reported in the developing world. This study was aimed at investigating the prevalence of GBS maternal colonization and to analyze the serotype distribution among the isolates.MethodsVagino-rectal swabs collected from pregnant women were cultured for GBS using conventional media. Swabs were also taken from the mouths, ears and umbilical stumps of the neonates born to colonized mothers. Multiplex PCR and a conventional PCR to discern the gbs2018-ST-17 gene (specific for sequence type(ST)-17 clone) was performed to characterize the Group B streptococcus isolates.ResultsA total of 300 pregnant women and 53 neonates were studied by culture but only 175 mothers by PCR. GBS was identified in four (6.8%) of 59 (19.7%) neonates of colonized mothers. Out of 175 mothers investigated by PCR, 112 (64%) were colonized. Serotype Ia (23.9%) was the most common among vagino-rectal isolates. Serotype II (71.4%) predominates among colonizing strain in newborns. A significant association between frequency of intercourse of > 2 per week and GBS carriage was found (t-test= 2.2; P value < 0.05).ConclusionGBS carriage is high with low transmission. Strains that have been associated with GBS neonatal disease were reported, though in very low rates. Though none of the babies studied had invasive GBS disease, a more expansive study in the future will be required to establish if invasive GBS neonatal disease is uncommon in Nigeria.
Highlights
Group B ß-haemolytic streptococci were first recorded as a cause of human infection in 1938 [1]
This study showed that Group B Streptococcus (GBS) carriage in the studied population was high and transmission rate was low and indicated low rates of association between the serotypes and the diseases
The study suggested a changing epidemiology of GBS which requires regular surveillance for early detection of the introduction of more virulent strains that may signal the potential for invasive GBS disease among our neonates
Summary
Group B ß-haemolytic streptococci were first recorded as a cause of human infection in 1938 [1]. Several reports have shown that Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is responsible for a substantial proportion of invasive diseases including pneumonia, septicaemia and meningitis in new-borns [2,3,4] as well as neonatal sepsis, neonatal death, pyelonephritis and premature rupture of membranes [5]. While this bacterium causes diseases in children, women, immunocompromised adult and the elderly [6,7], serotype III strains have been significantly associated with meningitis in both early onset disease (EOD) and late onset disease (LOD) [8]. These variations in the reported prevalence of asymptomatic colonization are due to differences in the sites sampled, bacteriologic method for detection of the organism, and demographic differences in the populations studied
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