Abstract
Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of Streptococcus agalactiae (group B Streptococcus (GBS)) amongst pregnant women in Windhoek. In addition, antimicrobial susceptibility patterns and specific resistance genes present in the GBS isolates were also investigated. Methods: One hundred and seventeen GBS isolates were tested from Windhoek Central Hospital Antenatal Clinic. All isolated GBS were tested against selected antimicrobials using the VITEK 2 system. Resistance genes investigated in this study included: tet (M), tet (O), erm (A/TR), mef (A/E), aphA-3 and aad-6 by means of optimised PCR. Results: The GBS colonisation prevalence rate was 13.6%. Intermediate resistance against levofloxacin and clindamycin was 0.9% and 18.8%, respectively. Resistance against trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, tetracycline, erythromycin and clindamycin was 6%, 94.8%, 11.1% and 8.5%, respectively. Inducible clindamycin resistance (ICR) was detected in 5.1%. One hundred and fifteen (115/117) samples presented with gene tet (M), of which 110 showed tetracycline resistance. The five remaining isolates tested sensitive against tetracycline. Three isolates presented with gene mef (A/E) and showed erythromycin resistance. Three isolates presented with gene erm (A/TR) and ICR. Two isolates presented with ICR, but no erm (A/TR) was detected. Conclusion: Group B Streptococus prevalence amongst the screened women in the current study was 13.6% (80/588). A high resistance to tetracycline (94.8%) (111/117) was found. Erythromycin (11.1%) (13/117), trimethoprim (6%) (7/117) and clindamycin (8.5%) (10/117) showed low level resistance. Inducible clindamycin resistance (ICR) was detected in 5.1% (6/117) of the isolates. One hundred and fifteen (n=117) samples presented with gene tet (M), of which 110 showed tetracycline resistance when comparing the results to the Vitek analysis. Three isolates presented with gene mef (A/E) and showed erythromycin resistance when comparing the results to the Vitek analysis. Three isolates presented with gene erm (A/TR) as well as ICR when comparing the results to the Vitek analysis.
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