Group B
Streptococcus (GBS) is still not routinely screened during
pregnancy in
Brazil, being prophylaxis and empirical
treatment based on identification of
risk groups. This study aimed to investigate GBS
prevalence in Brazilian
pregnant women by
culture or
polymerase chain reaction (
PCR) associated to the enrichment
culture, and to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of isolated
bacteria, so as to support
public health policies and empirical prophylaxis. After an epidemiological
survey, vaginal and anorectal specimens were collected from 221 consenting laboring
women. Each sample was submitted to enrichment
culture and
sheep blood agar was used to isolate suggestive GBS. Alternatively, specific
PCR was performed from enrichment
cultures. Antimicrobial susceptibility patterns were determined for isolated
bacteria by
agar diffusion method. No
risk groups were identified. Considering the
culture-based
methodology, GBS was detected in 9.5% of the
donors. Twenty five bacterial
strains were isolated and identified. Through the
culture-
PCR methodology, GBS was detected in 32.6% specimens. Bacterial resistance was not detected against
ampicillin,
cephazolin,
vancomycin and
ciprofloxacin, whereas 22.7% were resistant to
erythromycin and 50% were resistant to
clindamycin. GBS
detection may be improved by the
association of
PCR and enrichment
culture. Considering that colony selection in
agar plates may be laboring and technician-dependent, it may not reflect the real
prevalence of streptococci. As in
Brazil prevention
strategies to reduce the GBS associated
diseases have not been adopted,
prospective studies are needed to anchor
public health policies especially considering the regional GBS antimicrobial susceptibility patterns.