title: Susceptibility of Zimbabwean Streptococcus agalactiae (group B Streptococcus; GBS) isolates to four different antibiotics.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To establish the susceptibility of Zimbabwean GBS strains isolated from hospitalised patients to four antibiotics.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross sectional survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four regions of Zimbabwe (Bindura, Bulawayo, Harare, and Masvingo).
  
  
  METHODS
  113 GBS isolates from hospitalised patients in Bindura, Bulawayo, Harare and Masvingo, of whom most were suffering from infectious diseases.
  
  
  METHODS
  All isolates were tested for their susceptibility to clindamycin, erythromycin, penicillin and tetracycline.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All isolates were 100% sensitive to clindamycin, 98% to penicillin, 86% to erythromycin; 2% of the isolates showed intermediate susceptibility to penicillin and 100% showed resistance to tetracycline.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Penicillin is still the antibiotic of choice for treatment of GBS infections and for intrapartum chemoprophylaxis in Zimbabwe. For patients who are allergic to penicillin, clindamycin will be the drug of choice for both treatment and/or chemoprophylactic use in Zimbabwe.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe. srmoyo@healthnet.zw
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Moyo
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Maeland
authors.forename: E S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Munemo
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002981:Clindamycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D004917:Erythromycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D010406:Penicillins / Q000494:pharmacology; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013292:Streptococcus agalactiae / Q000187:drug effects*; D013752:Tetracycline / Q000494:pharmacology; D015030:Zimbabwe
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D010406:Penicillins; D002981:Clindamycin; D004917:Erythromycin; D013752:Tetracycline