Prevalence of Group B Streptococcus Colonization Among Pregnant Women Attending Antenatalclinic of Hawassa Health Center, Hawassa, Ethiopia
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Date
2008
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Background: Group B streptococcus (GBS) or Streptococcus agalactiae are members of the normal flora of the female genital tract. During labor GBS may infect the newborn, leading to neonatal sepsis and meningitis. GBS emerged in the 1970s as one of the most frequent causes of sepsis and meningitis in neonates and young infants. Since the mid-1960s, GBS has become the major cause of bacterial infections in the perinatal period, including bacteraemia, amnionitis, endometritis, and urinary tract infection in pregnant women. Rates of GBS colonization vary widely throughout the world due to differences in laboratory investigation methods, regional variations and racial differences. Report on prevalence of GBS among pregnant women in Ethiopia is very limited.
Objectives: The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of group B Streptococcal (GBS) colonization among pregnant women attending antenatal clinic at Hawassa Health centre, Hawassa Ethiopia and analyze risk factors related to GBS colonization.
Methods: A total of 139 pregnant women were screened for GBS colonization between May and June 2010. Standard microbiological methods were used to isolate and identify GBS from vaginal and anorectal swabs obtained from study subjects. Antimicrobial susceptibility test was performed for all GBS isolates according to the criteria of the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards by disk diffusion method.
Results: A total of 29 out of 139 pregnant women studied (20.8%) were colonized by GBS. No statistically significant association was observed for GBS colonization with any of sociodemographic characteristics of the study subjects including age, occupation, type of contraceptive used, types of gravida, number of antenatal clinic visits etc. All GBS strains were susceptible to penicillin, ampicillin, vancomycin and gentamicin, Low level of resistance (<60%) were observed against erythromycin, tetracycline, ceftriaxone, chloramphenicol, ciprofloxacin and norfloxacin.
Conclusion and recommendations: this study including 139 pregnant women,
confirmed the prevalence of GBS colonization to be around 21%. This prevalence was compared with findings reported from developed and developing countries and have reached comparable level. However, further epidemiological investigations should be conducted in different parts of the country in order to know the actual GBS colonization rate in pregnant women and consider implementation of prevention plans using intrapartum antibiotics prophylaxis to prevent early onset GBS-neonatal diseases.
Key words: Group B Streptococcus (GBS), risk factors, Antibiotic susceptibility,
Ethiopia.
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Keywords
Group B Streptococcus (GBS), Risk factors, Antibiotic susceptibility