Background The main purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence rate, antimicrobial susceptibility patterns and molecular characteristics of Streptococcus agalactiae isolated from pregnant women at 35 weeks of gestation and above, who attended antenatal screening at selected hospitals in Ohangwena and Oshikoto regions of Namibia. Results Out of 210 women screened for Group B Streptococcus (GBS), 12 (5.7%) were colonised of which 25.0% were colonised rectovaginally, 58.0% vaginally and 17.0% rectally. No significant association was reported between GBS colonisation and maternal age, geographic location, marital status, education, employment, parity, still births and miscarriages (P values > 0.05). Antimicrobial susceptibility was reported at 100% for ampicillin, penicillin & ceftriaxone which are commonly used for empiric treatment of infection with GBS. Resistance to tetracycline was reported at 100%. Tetracycline resistance gene tet(M) was present in 88.9% of the isolates only and none of the isolates presented with tet(O). Polysaccharide capsular type Ia was found in 9(50%) and Ib was found in 1(5.5%) of the total isolates. The remaining isolates were not typeable using PCR. Conclusion Streptococcus agalactiae’s positive rate was 5.7% among the pregnant women examined. Socio-demographic and obstetric factors had no influence on GBS colonisation (P values > 0.05). No resistance was reported to ampicillin, penicillin and ceftriaxone. No sensitivity was reported to tetracycline. Fifty percent of the isolates were capsular type Ia, 5.5% were type Ib and 44.4% were not typeable using PCR. The study provides crucial information for informing policy in screening of GBS in pregnant women.

Bacterial meningitis (BM) is a life-threatening condition which affects the central nervous system (CNS). Its incidence rate is estimated between 0.22 -2.66 and 0.81 -6.1 cases/1000 lives worldwide and in Africa respectively. The objective of this study was to determine the frequency of bacterial organisms isolated from CSF of children less than five years old in Windhoek. A retrospective analysis was performed on 784 results of CSF submitted to the Namibia Institute of Pathology (NIP) from January 2010 to August 2014. The results showed that out of the suspected meningitis cases, 18 (28.6%) were due to Streptococcus pneumoniae, making it the frequently isolated organism, followed by Staphylococcus aureus 7 (11.1%), Escherichia coli 5 (7.9%) and Haemophilus influenzae 4 (6.3%). Streptococcus pneumoniae showed high resistance to penicillin 17 (70.5%) & cotrimoxazole 16 (93.7%) and 100% susceptibility to ciprofloxacin (5), vancomycin (13) & ceftriaxone (8). Haemophilus influenzae showed moderate resistance to cotrimoxazole 3 (66%) & tetracycline 2 (50%). It showed 100% sensitivity to chloramphenicol (4), cefuroxime (2) & ceftriaxone (3). Neisseria meningitidis showed high resistance to cotrimoxazole by 100% (n = 2) and high sensitivity to chloramphenicol (n = 2), ceftriaxone & penicillin by 100% (n = 2). Streptococcus agalactiae was resistant to tetracycline and sensitive to penicillin & erythromycin by 100% (n = 1). Streptococcus pneumoniae was isolated the most in this current study and it had high resistance to penicillin & cotrimoxazole. There was a significant difference between results CSF culture and * Corresponding author. PCR, Gram stain, CSF cell count, protein & glucose, as all comparisons yielded in P values less than 0.05, indicating a significant statistical association.

BackgroundThe main purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence rate, antimicrobial susceptibility patterns and molecular characteristics of Streptococcus agalactiae isolated from pregnant women at 35 weeks of gestation and above, who attended antenatal screening at selected hospitals in Ohangwena and Oshikoto regions of Namibia.ResultsTwelve (5.7%) of women screened were colonised by GBS, of which 25.0% were colonised rectovaginally, 58.0% vaginally and 17.0% rectally. No significant association was reported between GBS colonisation and maternal age, habitat, marital status, education, employment, parity, still births and miscarriages (P values >0.05). Antimicrobial susceptibility was reported at 100% for ampicillin, penicillin & ceftriaxone. Resistance to tetracycline was reported at 100%. Tetracycline resistance gene tet(M) was present in 88.9% of the isolates only and none of the isolates presented with tet(O). Polysaccharide capsular type Ia was found in 9(50%) and Ib was found in 1(5.5%) of the total isolates. The remaining isolates were not typeable using PCR.ConclusionStreptococcus agalactiae’s positive rate was 5.7% among the pregnant women examined. Socio-demographic and obstetric factors had no influence on GBS colonisation (P values >0.05). No resistance was reported to ampicillin, penicillin and ceftriaxone. No sensitivity was reported to tetracycline. Fifty (50%) of the isolates were capsular type Ia, 5.5% were type Ib and 44.4% were not typeable using PCR.

BackgroundThe main purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence rate, antimicrobial susceptibility patterns and molecular characteristics of Streptococcus agalactiae isolated from pregnant women at 35 weeks of gestation and above, who attended antenatal screening at selected hospitals in Ohangwena and Oshikoto regions of Namibia.ResultsOut of 210 women screened for GBS, 12 (5.7%) were colonised of which 25.0% were colonised rectovaginally, 58.0% vaginally and 17.0% rectally. No significant association was reported between GBS colonisation and maternal age, geographic location, marital status, education, employment, parity, still births and miscarriages (P values >0.05). Antimicrobial susceptibility was reported at 100% for ampicillin, penicillin & ceftriaxone. Resistance to tetracycline was reported at 100%. Tetracycline resistance gene tet(M) was present in 88.9% of the isolates only and none of the isolates presented with tet(O). Polysaccharide capsular type Ia was found in 9(50%) and Ib was found in 1(5.5%) of the total isolates. The remaining isolates were not typeable using PCR.ConclusionStreptococcus agalactiae’s positive rate was 5.7% among the pregnant women examined. Socio-demographic and obstetric factors had no influence on GBS colonisation (P values >0.05). No resistance was reported to ampicillin, penicillin and ceftriaxone. No sensitivity was reported to tetracycline. Fifty percent of the isolates were capsular type Ia, 5.5% were type Ib and 44.4% were not typeable using PCR. The study provides crucial information for informing policy in screening of GBS in pregnant women.