[Prevalence of Streptococcus agalactiae colonization in pregnant women at term]

To determine the prevalence of colonization by Streptococcus agalactiae in pregnant women at term.

We carried out a cross-sectional study. Four hundred thirty three pregnant patients at term without data of cervicovaginitis were included. We processed vaginal and rectal swabs with hisopo placed in the Stuart middle of transport. They were inoculated on blood agar with nalidixic acid and gentamicine incubating itself by duplicate on Todd-Hewitt broth. The samples with suggestive result were reincubating to detect suspicious Streptococcus using the CAMP test, for final identification. Some clinical variables were included as age, gravidity, parity, abortions, cesarean sections, and vaginal infections during pregnancy.

We found two patients with positive result for Streptococcus agalactiae in vaginal swabs that represented a prevalence of 0.46%; in those cases therapeutic measures were provided for both mother and newborn. The mean age for patients was 27 years. The median value for gravidity was 2, for parity was 1; and for spontaneous abortions and cesarean sections were 0, respectively. In our studied women 77.8% of them referred previous unspecified vaginal infections.

In our setting the prevalence of Streptococcus agalactiae colonization in pregnant women at term is low. Due to morbidity associated to this infection, it is suggested the specific research of this microorganism both in pregnant women and in their newborns.