Prevalence, capsular type distribution, anthropometric and obstetric factors of group B Streptococcus (Streptococcus agalactiae) colonization in pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE

To establish the prevalence, serotype distribution, anthropometry and obstetric factors of Group B Streptococcus (GBS) colonization in pregnant women.

DESIGN

Cross sectional survey.

SETTING

Chinhoyi General Hospital.

SUBJECTS

206 pregnant women attending the antenatal clinic at Chinhoyi General Hospital were systematically randomly sampled.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

All the isolates were serotyped on the basis of capsular polysaccharide (CHO) antigen designated, Ia, Ib, II, III, IV and V.

RESULTS

65 (31.6%) were carriers of GBS. The serotypes found were, type III (41.8%), type V (37.4%), type Ia (11.0%), type IV (3.3%), type Ib (3.3%) type II (1.0%) and 2.0% of the isolates were non-typable. All isolates were sensitive to penicillin and resistant to gentamycin. Colonization was more common in women with parity 0 to 2 (4.6%) and age group 20 to 24 years (43.1%). There was some evidence (p = 0.063) to suggest that GBS was more often isolated from the vagina (12.6%) than from the rectum (6.3%).

CONCLUSION

There was a high prevalence of GBS colonization among pregnant women in Chinhoyi. Types III and V were the most common serotypes found.