ROLE OF GROUP B STREPTOCOCCI IN NEONAT SEPSIS

Background: Group B streptococci is well defined pathogen in causing neonatal sepsis and meningitis since it is present as normal flora in the vagina of (2-30%) of pregnant women. Aim: This work is aimed to evaluate the role of group B streptococci in causing neonatal sepsis as compared to other gram-positive cocci isolated from clinically diagnosed neonatal sepsis. It is also to determine the susceptibility of the isolates to the commonly used antimicrobials. Methods: Two-hundreds and fifty neonates borne at Al-Sulaimanyiah Teaching Hospital were the source of (2-3 ml) blood samples collected aseptically from each newborn. Each blood sample was subjected to well known microbiological methods for blood culturing and final identification of the isolates. All isolates were tested for sensitivity or resistance for the commonly used antimicrobials using Kirby-Bauer technique. Results: Out of 250 patients it was possible to obtain 105 isolates of grams-positive cocci from blood samples collected from each neonate during 9 months duration. Out of 105 isolates it was possible to obtain 32 isoltes (31.2%) representing GBS, followed by Staph. aureus 31 isolates (29.6%). Staph. epidermidis (CONS) which ranks the 3rd among the isolates, it represented 27 (25.8%) isolates. The least of the isolates were group A streptococci 14 (13.4%) isolates. The results of antimicrobial susceptibility of each isolate to the commonly used drugs as compared to an international values revealed that GBS is moderately sensitive to the drug cotrimaxozole and penicillin respectively while it is highly resistant to the drugs ceplotoxim (90.4%), Cephalaxine (99.5%) and to each of the drugs Amikacin, Cotrimaxazole and penicillin (90.4%) respectively. Group B streptococci is completely resistant to Amoxicillin (100%). Staph. aureus revealed weak sensitivity to Amikacin (69.5%) while it is highly resistant to most of the drugs used in this study ranging from (83.8%-60.6%). Conclusions: It is concluded that group B streptococci plays the major role in causing neonatal sepsis followed by staph. aureus. It is concluded also that Penicillin G is still the drug of choice in the treatment of neonatal sepsis caused by group B streptococci.