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 such as Yemen. Objective: This study aimed to determine the vaginal colonization rates and antibiotic susceptibility pattern of group B Streptococcus among pregnant Yemeni women. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study over a four-month period involved 210 pregnant women who visited Gaza medical center (a primary health center in Sana’a city, Yemen) at the 35th to 39th gestational weeks. A vaginal swab from each pregnant woman was inoculated in Todd-Hewitt enrichment broth and after 24h incubation; the subculture on a 5% human blood agar plate was performed from inoculated Todd-Hewitt enrichment broth. All positive cultures identified as group B streptococcus were subjected to antibiotic susceptibility test using the disk-diffusion method. Results: Out of 210 recruited pregnant women, 23 (10.95%) were GBS vaginal carriers. All isolates showed no resistance to penicillin, ampicillin, levofloxacin, cefotaxime, and vancomycin. However, we observed decreased sensitivity to clindamycin (82.8%) and tetracycline (30.5%). Conclusion: Based on the study results; approximately eleven out of every 100 pregnant women were vaginal colonized by GBS in Sana'a governorate. Beta-lactam antibiotics remain the drug of choice for treatment and prophylaxis of GBS infections. Therefore, we recommend implementing a screening policy to detect GBS in Yemeni pregnant women.

Isolation, Antibiotic Susceptibility Profile, and Associated Factors of Group B Streptococcus among Pregnant Women Attending Selected Health Institutions, Hawassa, Ethiopia, 2022

“…In this study, the antibiotic susceptibility pro les of GBS isolates were shown 100% sensitivity to Vancomycin. This is similar to the reports from Yemeni 100% (AL-Subol et al, 2021), Arbaminch 100% (Shiferawu et al, 2019), and Bahir Dar city 96.3% (Leykun et al, 2021). In evidence, to recent studies including the present study Vancomycin is the most potent antibiotic for GBS.…”

“…About, 97.9% and 95.8% of the GBS isolates showed sensitivity to the rst-line antibiotic penicillin and ampicillin respectively. This is in agreement with the ndings from Kenya 100% (AL-Subol et al, 2021), Arbaminch 100% (Shiferawu et al, 2019), and Bahir Dar city 88.9% and 90.7% to penicillin and ampicillin respectively (Leykun et al, 2021y).…”

“…This nding was relatively comparable to reports from Addis Ababa (14.6%) (Assefa et al, 2018), Hawassa (15.7%) (Ali et al, 2019), and Brazil (14%) (Siqueira et al, 2019). Whereas it was greater than the study ndings in Southern Asia (12.5%) and Eastern Asia (11%) (Russell et al, 2017a), Iran (11.8%) (Darabi et al, 2017), Yemeni, (10.95%) (AL-Subol et al, 2021), Cameroon (8.69%) (Sama et al, 2021), Namibia (13.6%) (Mukesi et al, 2019), Adama, Ethiopia (13.2%) (Ali et al, 2020), Arbaminch, Ethiopia (8.5%) (Shiferawu et al, 2019), Eastern, Ethiopia (13.68%) (Yadeta et al, 2018b), and in Nekemte, Ethiopia (12.2%) (Mengist et al, 2017).…”

An Initial Survey on the Prevalence of Group B Streptococcus (GBS) among Yemeni Pregnant Women in Sana’a City

“…The earlier version of this manuscript was previously posted as a preprint on the Research Square platform [ 48 ].…”