INTRODUCTION: Despite national guidelines and use of intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis (IAP), Streptococcus agalactiae (group B streptococci (GBS)) is still a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in newborns in Europe and the United States. The European DEVANI (Design of a Vaccine Against Neonatal Infections) program assessed the neonatal GBS infection burden in Europe, the clinical characteristics of colonized women and microbiological data of GBS strains in colonized women and their infants with early-onset disease (EOD). METHODS: Overall, 1083 pregnant women with a GBS-positive culture result from eight European countries were included in the study. Clinical obstetrical information was collected by a standardized questionnaire. GBS strains were characterized by serological and molecular methods. RESULTS: Among GBS carriers included in this study after testing positive for GBS by vaginal or recto-vaginal sampling, 13.4% had at least one additional obstetrical risk factor for EOD. The five most common capsular types (i.e., Ia, Ib, II, III and V) comprised ~ 93% of GBS carried. Of the colonized women, 77.8% received any IAP, and in 49.5% the IAP was considered appropriate. In our cohort, nine neonates presented with GBS early-onset disease (EOD) with significant regional heterogeneity. CONCLUSIONS: Screening methods and IAP rates need to be harmonized across Europe in order to reduce the rates of EOD. The epidemiological data from eight different European countries provides important information for the development of a successful GBS vaccine.

• Klíčová slova
• Streptococcus agalactiae, Early-onset disease, GBS vaccine, Group B streptococcus, Intrapartum prophylaxis, Maternal colonization, Neonatal sepsis, Vertical transmission,
• MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• infekční komplikace v těhotenství * epidemiologie   mikrobiologie   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladý dospělý MeSH
• novorozenec MeSH
• přenašečství * epidemiologie   mikrobiologie   MeSH
• rizikové faktory MeSH
• Streptococcus agalactiae * izolace a purifikace   klasifikace   MeSH
• streptokokové infekce * epidemiologie   mikrobiologie   prevence a kontrola   MeSH
• těhotenství MeSH
• vagina mikrobiologie   MeSH
• vertikální přenos infekce prevence a kontrola   MeSH
• Check Tag
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladý dospělý MeSH
• novorozenec MeSH
• těhotenství MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• multicentrická studie MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Evropa epidemiologie   MeSH

PURPOSE: Group B streptococcus (GBS) remains a leading cause of invasive disease, mainly sepsis and meningitis, in infants < 3 months of age and of mortality among neonates. This study, a major component of the European DEVANI project (Design of a Vaccine Against Neonatal Infections) describes clinical and important microbiological characteristics of neonatal GBS diseases. It quantifies the rate of antenatal screening and intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis among cases and identifies risk factors associated with an adverse outcome. METHODS: Clinical and microbiological data from 153 invasive neonatal cases (82 early-onset [EOD], 71 late-onset disease [LOD] cases) were collected in eight European countries from mid-2008 to end-2010. RESULTS: Respiratory distress was the most frequent clinical sign at onset of EOD, while meningitis is found in > 30% of LOD. The study revealed that 59% of mothers of EOD cases had not received antenatal screening, whilst GBS was detected in 48.5% of screened cases. Meningitis was associated with an adverse outcome in LOD cases, while prematurity and the presence of cardiocirculatory symptoms were associated with an adverse outcome in EOD cases. Capsular-polysaccharide type III was the most frequent in both EOD and LOD cases with regional differences in the clonal complex distribution. CONCLUSIONS: Standardizing recommendations related to neonatal GBS disease and increasing compliance might improve clinical care and the prevention of GBS EOD. But even full adherence to antenatal screening would miss a relevant number of EOD cases, thus, the most promising prophylactic approach against GBS EOD and LOD would be a vaccine for maternal immunization.

• Klíčová slova
• Early-onset disease, Group B streptococcal vaccine, Group B streptococcus, Late-onset disease, Neonatal infection, Streptococcus agalactiae,
• MeSH
• antibiotická profylaxe škodlivé účinky   MeSH
• infekční komplikace v těhotenství * diagnóza   epidemiologie   MeSH
• kojenec MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• novorozenec MeSH
• Streptococcus agalactiae MeSH
• streptokokové infekce * diagnóza   epidemiologie   prevence a kontrola   MeSH
• těhotenství MeSH
• Check Tag
• kojenec MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• novorozenec MeSH
• těhotenství MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• multicentrická studie MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Evropa epidemiologie   MeSH