Background: Group B
streptococcus
(GBS) and
Listeria monocytogenes
are members of the normal
microbes of the female genital tract. During labour GBS and
Listeria monocytogenes may infect the newborns,
leading to neonatal sepsis and meningitis. So far, there is no report on prevalence of GBS and
Listeria monocytogenes
among pregnant women in Mwanza. The objective of the study was to determine
the magnitude of Group B
Streptococcus and
Listeria monocytogenes and its associated factors at Bugando
Medical Centre, Mwanza, Tanzania.
Methods: The study was a cross section conducted from 1
st November 2011 to 31
st May 2012 at Bugando
Medical Centre in Mwanza, Tanzania. Vaginal and rectal swabs were obtained and cultured on 5% sheep
blood agar and susceptibility testing done using disk diffusion technique.
Results: A total of 295 pregnant women participated in the study. GBS strains were isolated from 28
(9.49%) and only two (0.68%) had isolates of
Listeria
spp. All GBS and
Listeria spp. isolates were sensitive to
penicillin and ampicillin. Eight GBS isolates were resistant to erythromycin (28.6%), seven GBS isolates were
resistant to clindamycin (25%) and 15 of GBS isolates were resistant to tetracycline (53.6%). One
Listeria spp
isolate was resistant to cotrimoxazole. Pregnant women with no formal education and those dwelling in
rural areas were more frequently colonized by GBS.
Conclusion: There is a significant prevalence rate of GBS culture positive at Bugando Medical Centre with
demonstrable resistant to some common antibiotics (tetracycline, erythromycin and Clindamycin).
Screening for GBS should be instituted in Tanzania between 35 and 37 weeks of gestation coupled with
regular check up for antimicrobial susceptibility pattern due to emerging resistance toward existing
antibiotics.
