Seale AC, et al. - In this study, researchers sought to provide the first comprehensive estimates of the burden of group B Streptococcus (GBS), including invasive disease in pregnant and postpartum women, fetal infection/stillbirth, and infants. As per findings, GBS seemed a leading contributor to adverse maternal and newborn outcomes, with at least 409000 (UR, 144000–573000) maternal/fetal/infant cases and 147000 (UR, 47000–273000) stillbirths and infant deaths annually. Incidence in the mother, the fetus, and the infant can be lessened with an effective GBS vaccine.

Methods

• For 2015 live births, a compartmental model was used to determine
• (1) Exposure to maternal GBS colonization,
• (2) Cases of infant invasive GBS disease,
• (3) Deaths, and
• (4) Disabilities.
• Incidence or prevalence data was applied to assess the cases of maternal and fetal infection/stillbirth, and infants with invasive GBS disease presenting with neonatal encephalopathy.
• Risk ratios were applied to estimate numbers of preterm births attributable to GBS.
• In addition, uncertainty was assessed.

Results

• Worldwide in 2015, researchers identified 205,000 (uncertainty range [UR], 101,000–327,000) infants with early-onset disease and 114,000 (UR, 44,000–326,000) with late-onset disease.
• A minimum of 7,000 (UR, 0–19000) of these infants presented with neonatal encephalopathy.
• They observed 90,000 (UR, 36,000–169,000) deaths in infants <3 months age, and, at least 10,000 (UR, 3,000–27,000) children with disability each year.
• They noticed 33,000 (UR, 13,000–52000) cases of invasive GBS disease in pregnant or postpartum women, and 57,000 (UR, 12,000–104,000) fetal infections/stillbirths.
• They observed that up to 3.5 million preterm births were related to GBS.
• As per observations, Africa accounted for 54% of estimated cases and 65% of all fetal/infant deaths,.
• It seemed that a maternal vaccine with 80% efficacy and 90% coverage could result in prevention of 107,000 (UR, 20000–198000) stillbirths and infant deaths.