Group B Streptococcal Colonisation among Antenatal Women from a Tertiary Care Centre, Northern Kerala: A Cross-sectional Study

Introduction: Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is the leading cause of neonatal sepsis all over the world. Maternal colonisation of GBS in vaginal and anorectal area poses risk for subsequent invasive disease. The prevalence of maternal colonisation varies with geographical, biological and socio-economical factors. Current recommendations consider maternal screening and antibiotic therapy to prevent GBS neonatal disease with a potential of alteration of infant gut flora. Aim: To find out the prevalence, outcome and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of the GBS colonisation in antenatal women. Materials and Methods: A hospital-based descriptive crosssectional study was conducted in Government Medical College, Kozhikode, Kerala, India, during December 2017 to May 2019 including 300 antenatal women of 35-37 weeks gestational age. Vaginal and rectal swabs were taken and were subjected to microbiological examination and culture. Data analysis was done by Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 16.0. The Chi-square test and Fisher’s exact test were used wherever applicable and p-value