Author(s)

Jean-Marie Liesse Iyamba^1,2*, Pascal Murhula Mongane¹, Cyprien Mbundu Lukukula^1,2, Benjamin Kodondi Ngbandani^1,2, Junior Disashi Tshimpangila^1,2, Grégoire Mbusa Vihembo^1,2, Paul Tshilumbu Kantola^1,2, José Mulwahaili Wambale^1,2, Jacques Onokodi Kasongo^1,2, N. B. Takaisi Kikuni^1,2

¹Laboratory of Experimental and Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.
²Centre Universitaire de Référence de Surveillance de la Résistance aux Antimicrobien (CURS-RAM), Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.

Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is a Gram-positive bacterium which often colonizes maternal vaginal and rectal epitheliums and can be transmitted to the neonate during delivery. GBS infections may cause significant maternal and neonatal morbidity, including sepsis, pneumonia and meningitis. In Democratic Republic of Congo, few studies have been done on GBS colonization of pregnant women. This study was conducted in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo in order to determine the prevalence of GBS vaginal colonization among pregnant women at a gestational age of 35 - 37 weeks and the antibiotic susceptibility. Vaginal swabs of 104 pregnant women were inoculated onto Chromatic Strepto B medium. GBS isolates were identified by Gram staining, catalase test, blue-green colonies and confirmed to be GBS by Strepto B latex test kit. Antibiotic susceptibility test was done using the disc diffusion method. The prevalence of GBS vaginal colonization was 23.07%. Of the isolates studied 100%, 75%, 62.5%, 50% were sensitive to vancomycin, clindamycin, cefazolin, and erythromycin respectively. Our findings seem to suggest that maternal GBS colonization rate in this study was higher compared to a previous report from Bukavu in Democratic Republic of Congo. All isolates were found to be sensitive to vancomycin which was the most effective antibiotic for the treatment of GBS infections.

Group B Streptococcus, GBS Prevalence, Antibiotic Susceptibility, Democratic Republic of Congo

Liesse Iyamba, J. , Mongane, P. , Lukukula, C. , Ngbandani, B. , Tshimpangila, J. , Vihembo, G. , Kantola, P. , Wambale, J. , Kasongo, J. and Kikuni, N. (2021) Vaginal Colonization and Antibiotic Susceptibility Pattern of Group B Streptococcus Isolated from Pregnant Women in Maternité de l’Hôpital Des Soeurs de Pauvres de Bergame de Kimbanseke, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. Advances in Microbiology, 11, 335-341. doi: 10.4236/aim.2021.117026.