Epidemiology of group B streptococci: one year's experience in an obstetric and special care baby unit.
The epidemiology of group B streptococci (GBS) was studied in an obstetric unit and the related special care baby unit (SCBU). In 1 year 53 (77%) of 69 babies who acquired GBS from their mothers were colonized within 24 h of birth, compared with only 9 (35%) of 38 who acquired GBS from non-maternal sources. While 38 (36%) of 107 GBS colonized babies in the obstetric unit derived the organism from a non-maternal source, the value for the SCBU was only 2 (9%) of 23. In babies rectal and umbilical swabs gave the highest GBS isolation rates. Phage-typing and serotyping suggested that colonized mother baby pairs, rather than staff, were the primary source of hospital acquired GBS. This mode of GBS acquisition did not result in long-term carriage once babies had left hospital. Nosocomial transmission can play an important part in GBS epidemiology, but can be minimized by attention to infection control procedures.
D002353:Carrier State / Q000453:epidemiology; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000635:transmission*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007232:Infant, Newborn, Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission*; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D008131:London; D009775:Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Hospital; D010564:Personnel, Hospital; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000635:transmission; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission*; D013292:Streptococcus agalactiae