Burden of Invasive Group B Streptococcus Infection Among Omani Infants Less Than 90 Days Old: A Multicenter Study
Rajaa Al Aamri1, Laila Al Yazidi2,3, Hilal Al Hashami3,4
1From the Department of Microbiology, Nizwa Hospital, Nizwa.
Insights
Group B Streptococcus (GBS) infection poses a significant threat to newborns. This study found an increasing incidence of invasive GBS disease in Omani infants, with a high mortality rate.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal infections
- Infectious disease epidemiology
- Public health
Background:
- Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is a primary cause of neonatal illness and death globally.
- Investigating GBS disease in infants under 90 days in Oman is crucial for understanding regional health burdens.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the incidence of invasive GBS disease in Omani infants (<90 days old).
- To identify risk factors, clinical presentations, and outcomes of GBS infection in this population.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective data collection from 3 Omani tertiary hospitals (2009-2018).
- Inclusion criteria: culture-positive GBS from sterile sites in infants <90 days old.
Main Results:
- Overall incidence: 0.53 per 1000 live births (92 cases/178,285 births).
- Significant increase in incidence from 2014-2018 (0.69/1000) vs. 2009-2013 (0.36/1000).
- Late-onset GBS had higher meningitis risk (30.3% vs. 10.2%); overall mortality rate was 13.5%.
Conclusions:
- Oman's GBS incidence mirrors global rates, but mortality burden is high.
- A significant rise in invasive GBS disease incidence was observed in Omani infants over the decade.
Background:
Group B Streptococcus (GBS) infection is the leading cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality worldwide. This study aims to investigate the incidence of invasive GBS disease among infants less than 90 days old in Oman and to describe their risk factors, clinical presentations and clinical outcomes.
Methods:
We retrospectively collected the data of less than 90-day-old Omani infants with culture-positive GBS from sterile samples. This study was conducted in 3 tertiary hospitals in Oman from 2009 to 2018.
Results:
Over 10 years, we identified 92 cases of culture-confirmed invasive GBS infection from 178,285 live births in the 3 hospitals, giving an overall incidence of 0.53 per 1000 live births [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.4-0.7)]. Of those, 59 (64.1%) had early-onset neonatal GBS disease and 33 (35.9%) had late-onset neonatal GBS disease. The incidence of invasive GBS disease was significantly higher in the last 5 years from 2014 to 2018 (0.69 per 1000 live births, 95% CI: 0.5-0.9) compared to the previous years from 2009 to 2013 (0.36 per 1000 live births, 95% CI: 0.2‒0.5), ( P = 0.004). Infants with late-onset neonatal GBS disease had a higher risk of meningitis compared to infants with early-onset neonatal GBS disease (30.3% vs. 10.2%, P = 0.021). The mortality rate was 13.5%.
Conclusions:
The incidence of invasive GBS disease in Oman is similar to what was reported worldwide, however, the burden of the disease in terms of mortality is high. In addition, a significant increase in the annual incidence of invasive GBS disease in Omani infants was found over the study period.
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