Cell wall proteins of group B Streptococcus and low incidence of neonatal disease in southern Israel.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the maternal group B Streptococcus (GBS) prevalence of carriage and serotype distribution and the neonatal disease incidence to formulate a policy for treatment and prevention regarding GBS diseases in southern Israel.


METHODS
A prospective study was conducted between January and October 2000. Cultures were obtained from 681 healthy, pregnant women and processed as recommended. Samples were cultured on blood-agar plates with and without added gentamicin. GBS was identified by beta-hemolysis and a positive CAMP test and confirmed by agglutination with specific antiserum. Serotyping was done by the Lancefield precipitin method using monospecific antisera to polysaccharides Ia, Ib and II-VIII and surface proteins C, R and X.


RESULTS
Carriage prevalence of 12.3% and neonatal disease incidence of 0.095/1,000 live births were documented. Surface proteins C and R were found in 85.7% of positive cases. Serotypes Ia (17.8%), Ib (10.7%), II (27.4%), III (20.2%) and V (14.3%) were distributed as previously reported from developed countries.


CONCLUSIONS
Developing a pentavalent vaccine based on serotypes Ia, Ib, II, III and V in conjugation to a GBS cell wall protein transporter, such as C or R, has theoretical advantages in the southern Israeli population over vaccines that use foreign proteins.
Marchaim
Dror
D
Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Bacteriology and Infectious Diseases, Soroka Medical Center, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
Hallak
Mordechai
M
Gortzak-Uzan
Limor
L
Peled
Nechama
N
Riesenberg
Klaris
K
Schlaeffer
Francisc
F
D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D002353:Carrier State / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000737:chemistry*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012703:Serotyping; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D013292:Streptococcus agalactiae / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification
D001426:Bacterial Proteins