Group B streptococcus and Escherichia coli colonization in pregnant women and neonates in Lithuania
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2012-04-00 |
The present study was supported by a grant from the Lithuanian State Science and Studies Foundation (No. T–77/07).
Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of maternal and neonatal colonization with group B streptococcus (GBS) and Escherichia coli, and examine GBS serotypes and susceptibility to antibiotics. Methods: A prospective cross-sectional study was carried out in Lithuania between October 2006 and June 2007. Lower vaginal/ rectal swabs were obtained from pregnant women (n=998) and ear canal/throat swabs were obtained from their newborns (n=827) for culture. Results: Overall, maternal and neonatal GBS colonization rates were 15.3% and 6.4%, respectively. Serotypes III (34.5%) and Ia (29.7%) were most common. All GBS isolates were susceptible to penicillin and 4.1% were resistant to erythromycin. Overall, maternal and neonatal E. coli colonization rates were 19.9% and 14.4%, respectively. In total, 71.4% of newborns with E. coli colonization were born to E. coli-negative mothers. E. coli was resistant to ampicillin and piperacillin in 25.9% and 16.6% of cases, respectively. The majority of E. coli-colonized newborns were contaminated with maternal fecal, but not vaginal, E. coli strains. Conclusion: Maternal and neonatal GBS colonization rates, serotypes, and susceptibility to antibiotics were comparable to those reported in previous studies. Population-based data regarding early-onset neonatal infection rates will enable the formulation of a prevention program for early-onset GBS disease in Lithuania.