An Initial Survey on the Prevalence of Group B Streptococcus (GBS) among Yemeni Pregnant Women.

Abstract

Background: Neonatal infection with group B Streptococcus (GBS) is still a threat to the life of fetus and mother, especially in developing countries that do not adopt a prenatal screening test policy. Objective: This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of group B Streptococcus in pregnant Yemeni women between the 35th and 39th weeks of gestation and also to assess group B Streptococcus sensitivity pattern to several antibiotics. Methods: The fieldwork was performed in a primary health centre and a private modern medical laboratory at Sana'a city, Yemen. The study was limited to taking one vaginal swab from each participant of 210 pregnant women, and it relied on the cultural characteristics and biochemical tests for identifying the bacteria as group B Streptococcus. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed using the Kirby-Bauer test. Results: Among the 210 pregnant women who were participating in this study, 23 (10.95%) were vaginally colonized with group B Streptococcus. Beta-lactam antibiotics and vancomycin were completely effective against group B Streptococcus. Conclusion: Based on this study results, at least one out of every ten Ymenei pregenant women is GBS vaginally colonized therefore we recommend routine prenatal GBS screening among pregnant women in the third trimester in Yemen and conducting extensive epidemiological studies in other Yemeni cities to detect the extent prevalence of GBS among pregnant mothers in Yemen in order to develop an appropriate preventive strategy.