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Updated: Nov 21, 2025
A Murine Model of Group B Streptococcus Vaginal Colonization
Published on: November 16, 2016
Trends in molecular characteristics and antimicrobial resistance of group B streptococci: a multicenter study in
Dusan Kekic1, Ina Gajic2, Natasa Opavski2
1Institute for Microbiology and Immunology, Medical Faculty, University of Belgrade, Dr Subotica No. 1, 11000, Belgrade, Serbia. dusan_vk@yahoo.com.
Insights
Group B Streptococcus (GBS) causes significant neonatal illness. This study in Serbia found increasing GBS resistance and a concerning rise in the hypervirulent III/ST17 clone, necessitating ongoing surveillance for neonatal infections.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Neonatal Health
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is a leading cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality globally.
- Serbia has not fully implemented preventive strategies for GBS neonatal diseases.
- Understanding GBS epidemiology, antimicrobial resistance, and serotype distribution is crucial for public health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess maternal GBS colonization rates in Serbia.
- To determine the incidence and trends of invasive neonatal GBS disease.
- To analyze antimicrobial resistance patterns and serotype distribution of GBS isolates from diverse patient groups.
Main Methods:
- Collected and analyzed non-invasive (n=991) and invasive (n=80) GBS isolates from Serbia (2015-2020).
- Performed antimicrobial susceptibility testing, capsular typing, and hvgA detection.
- Evaluated trends in invasive GBS infection incidence and specific GBS clones.
Main Results:
- Maternal GBS colonization rate was 15.6% (877/5621).
- Invasive GBS infections in infants showed a decreasing trend (0.18/1000 live births).
- Type III GBS predominated in invasive neonatal infections, while Type V was common in adults. The hypervirulent clone III/ST17 increased, particularly in late-onset disease (47.4%). GBS resistance to erythromycin (26.7%) and clindamycin (22.1%) showed an upward trend.
Conclusions:
- The study highlights a significant burden of GBS colonization and invasive disease in Serbia.
- The increasing prevalence of the hypervirulent clone III/ST17 and rising antimicrobial resistance are critical concerns.
- Continuous monitoring of GBS infections and resistance patterns is urgently needed in Serbia.
Abstract:
Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is a major cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality. Serbia has not fully implemented preventive measures against GBS neonatal diseases. Therefore, we aimed to assess the maternal GBS colonisation and invasive neonatal disease rate, to reveal the trends of antimicrobial resistance and serotype distribution of GBS from various patient groups. Randomly selected non-invasive (n = 991) and all invasive GBS (n = 80) collected throughout Serbia from 2015 to 2020 were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility, capsular typing, and hvgA detection. Overall, 877/5621 (15.6%) pregnant women were colonised with GBS. Invasive GBS infections incidence in infants (0.18/1000 live births) showed a decreasing trend (0.3 to 0.1/1000 live births). Type III was overrepresented in infants with invasive infections (n = 35, 58.3%), whereas type V predominated among colonised adults (n = 224, 25.5%) and those with noninvasive (n = 37, 32.5%) and invasive infections (n = 8, 40%). The hypervirulent clone III/ST17 was highly associated with invasive infections (n = 28, 35%), particularly late-onset disease (n = 9, 47.4%), showing an increase from 12.3 to 14.8%. The GBS resistance to erythromycin and clindamycin was 26.7% and 22.1%, respectively, with an upward trend. The emergence of the hypervirulent clone III/ST17 and the escalation in GBS resistance highlight an urgent need for continuous monitoring of GBS infections.
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