Vaginal‐Rectal Colonization With Group AStreptococci in Late Pregnancy

Objective: To determine the vaginal‐rectal colonization rate with group A streptococci in late pregnancy. Methods: All patients delivering at a northern New England hospital over a 38 month period had 35–37 week vaginal‐rectal swabs cultured for group A and group B streptococci, using selective media and slide agglutination. Results: Six thousand nine hundred forty‐four screening cultures were obtained. Among these 1,393 were positive for group B streptococci and 2 for group A streptococci, yielding colonization rates of 20.1% and 0.03%, respectively. Conclusions: Vaginal‐rectal colonization with group A streptococci is rare, arguing against the need for establishing group A streptococcal screening programs in pregnancy. An approach for managing this uncommon finding is presented. Infect. Dis. Obstet. Gynecol. 8:217–219, 2000.