Leonard Sama

and 7 more

Background: Group B streptococcus (GBS), also name as Streptococcus agalactiae, is a gram-positive bacterium know for it capacity to colonises the vaginal and rectal areas of the mother and is a leading cause of neonatal mortality and morbidity. This study aimed at determining the prevalence, associated risk factors and antimicrobial susceptibility of GBS colonization among pregnant women attending antenatal care at Dschang District Hospital. Methods: This hospital-base cross-sectional study targeted pregnant women population attending hospitals for routine prenatal testing using a multistage sampling method. Pregnant women at 23.46 ± 6.44 weeks gestation completed a questionnaire and vaginal swabs were obtained for GBS analysis. Data were analysed using chi-squared (χ2) test or the Fisher’s exact test when appropriate and the multivariable logistic regression models. Results: The colonisation rate of GBS among pregnant women was 8.69%. Induce abortion (odds ratio [CI] = 3.09, 95% [1.56-6.21]), Spontaneaous abortions (OR= 2.82, 95% CI 1.14-7.29), Stillborn (OR [CI] = 7.75, 95% [2.61-21.71]), Fever (OR [CI] = 0.37, 95% [0.19-0.71]) and anemia (OR [CI] = 0.22, 95% [0.12-0.43]) were found to be influencing factors associated with GBS colonisation. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that none of the studied factors were significantly associated with GBS colonisation. Further longitudinal research is needed to establish the causal relationship and its biological mechanisms. Keys words: Group B Streptococcus, Prevalence, Risk Factors, Antimicrobial Susceptibility, Pregnant Women