Assessment of Streptococcus agalactiae colonization in pregnant women attending a clinical laboratory in southern Brazil

Abstract

Introduction: Streptococcus agalactiae is a gram-positive bacterium, coccoid bacterium, arranged in chains or pairs that colonizes the gastrointestinal and genitourinary tracts, and may become a causative agent of diseases. Newborns are the most affected by S. agalactiae colonization, with clinical manifestations of pneumonia, meningitis and sepsis, but pregnant women are also susceptible to infection caused by this bacterium. Methods: Data were collected using the computerized system of the co-participating laboratory. The following variables were select: period from January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2020, Streptococcus B screening with collection of vaginal an anorectal swabs
and age of the pregnant women. After data were obtained, the results were tabulated in Excel 2016 spreadsheets for further analysis. Results: The percentage of positive S. agalactiae colonizacion in pregnant women was 18.6% of a total of 1,385 pregnant women. The year 2016 had the lowest colonization Salame et al. 28 Clin Biomed Res 2022;42(1) http://seer.ufrgs.br/hcpa rate with 14.5% (32/220), and the year 2020 had the highest rate with 26.3% (84/319). The age of the participants ranged from 13 to 54 years, with a mean of 29.08 years and a median of 29 years.
Conclusion: The present study showed a high rate of S. agalactiae colonization among pregnant women  attending the co-participating laboratory during the study period. It also demonstrated the importance of S. agalactiae colonization screening in pregnant women during prenatal care, as this allows to correct prophylaxis to avoid future complications in both newborns and mothers.