Streptococcus agalactiae in pregnant women in Brazil: prevalence, serotypes, and antibiotic resistance

Brazilian data for maternal GBS colonization shows different prevalence rates. This conflicting data may be related to the absence of an official recommendation from the Federal Brazilian Health Authorities describing guidelines and protocols to perform GBS screening in pregnant women, in both public and private clinics. In the present review, we evaluated published reports addressing the prevalence of GBS in different regions of the country, methods used, and, when available, information regarding antibiotic resistance and serological typing of clinical isolates. According to this review, GBS prevalence in pregnant women in Brazil ranged from 4.2 to 28.4%, in the last 10 years. Serotype Ia was the most prevalent. The highest antibiotic resistance rates were found for tetarcycline, although its use to treat GBS infections is not common. Our results also show high resistance rates to clindamycin and erythromycin, which are commonly used as an alternative to penicillin in GBS infecctions. The increased antibiotic resistance, variations in serotype distribution, and high GBS prevalences need to be further investigated. Based on the present situation, recommendations regarding GBS surveillance in the country were raised and may improve our strategies for preventing neonatal infections.