Prevalence of Group B Streptococcus among Pregnant Women in Bobo-Dioulasso (Burkina Faso)

Background: Group B Streptococcus (GBS) or Streptococcus agalactiae, which asymptomatically colonizes the female genital tract, is one of the leading causes of septicemia, meningitis and pneumonia in neonates. This study was conducted in Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso to determine the prevalence of GBS colonization among pregnant women. Methods: Six hundred and eleven (611) pregnant women were screened for GBS colonization between July and December 2016. Vaginal swab samples were aseptically collected from the subjects after oral informed consent. Standard microbiological methods were used to isolate and identify GBS isolates. The antibiotic susceptibility profile of GBS isolates was assessed using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method. Results: Colonization prevalence was 6.05%. No risk factors associated with the carriage rate was statistically identified. All isolates were susceptible to Amoxicillin, Ampicillin, Cefotaxime, Levofloxacin, Vancomycin and Nitrofurantoin. Resistance to antibiotics was found for erythromycin (35.14%), lincomycin (16.22%) and penicillin G (10.81%). Conclusion: Although a low carriage (6.05%) rate and isolates were susceptible to many antibiotics found in this study, a policy of systematic screening of pregnant women at least in the third trimester must be promoted.