1. INTRODUCTION
Group B streptococcus (GBS), also name as Streptococcus agalactiae, is a gram-positive bacterium know for its capacity to cause infection of the mother infection, fetus, neonatal sepsis and meningitis1,2. Early-onset diseases in infants such like pathogen causes chorioamnionitis 3, preterm birth4, stillbirth 5, meningitis6 are the results of GBS vertical transmission from a colonised mother during or just before delivery. These suggest that, maternal colonisation of the genitourinary tracts by GBS is the primary risk factor for early-onset diseases causing both early-onset (< 7 days of life) and late-onset (7–89 days of life) neonatal sepsis 7 but also an important cause of premature rupture of membranes, advanced abortion, premature birth and a series of adverse of pregnancy outcomes in women 8,9. According to studies, GBS colonization in pregnant women varies from place to place and ranged from 2.0% to 32.0% 1, hence the prevalence of a neighbouring country or continent cannot be used to estimate the prevalence in our setting. Contradicting prevalence have been revealed according to specific sites in sub-Saharan Africa10 though according to Chaudhry et al. this prevalence was found to be 19% 11. In Cameroon, few studies have been conducted on GBS with variable prevalence from 7.7% to 14% in Yaoundé 12,13 but in the West Region of Cameroon, no information exist on GBS. Awareness of GBS prevalence in specific parts of Cameroon remain an important asset to clinicians, in decision-making about the need for genital or anogenital GBS screening of pregnant women attending antenatal clinic while identifying associated factors. This will should however lead to targeted screening of high risk pregnant women using minimum resources available, all of which will hopefully contribute the reduction of cases of neonatal sepsis caused by GBS infection at Dschang Distric Hospital. Currently in Cameroon, there is no policy for routine GBS screening of pregnant women attending antenatal care but also no standardized screening method despite the high perinatal mortality and no treatment is offered to those affected. If a policy is formulated and effected, this would contribute to the prevention of live births who get serious GBS neonatal infection with increased mortality and morbidity.
This study aimed at determining the prevalence, associated risk factors and antimicrobial susceptibility of GBS colonization among pregnant women attending antenatal care at Dschang District Hospital (DDH) which may provide implications for the development of improved and rational interventions for GBS infection and disease.