Antimicrobial resistance profile of streptococcus agalactiae in parturients treated at a public hospital in Goiânia

implications for intrapartum prophylaxis

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.63162/v67n69e25634

Keywords:

Group B Streptococcus, Antimicrobial susceptibility, Maternal colonization, Post-exposure prophylaxis, Beta-lactams

Abstract

This study aimed to assess the prevalence of Streptococcus agalactiae colonization among parturients admitted to a public referral hospital in Goiânia, Brazil, and to characterize the antimicrobial resistance profile of the isolates, emphasizing implications for intrapartum prophylaxis. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 206 pregnant women between 35 and 37 weeks of gestation at the Dona Íris Maternity Hospital. Identification of S. agalactiae was performed using Todd-Hewitt selective broth culture, confirmed by chromogenic agar and real-time PCR (qPCR). Antimicrobial susceptibility was determined according to the 2024 BrCAST/EUCAST guidelines using the disk diffusion method on Mueller-Hinton agar supplemented with 5% horse blood and β-NAD. The prevalence of maternal colonization was 25.7% by qPCR and 20.4% by culture, with the vaginal site being the most affected (41.8%) and combined vaginal–anal colonization accounting for 25.4%. High susceptibility was observed to β-lactam antibiotics—penicillin (85.5%), ampicillin (92.8%), and ceftriaxone (96.4%)—while significant resistance was detected to clindamycin (83.6%), erythromycin (54.6%), and tetracycline (70.9%). No sociodemographic or obstetric variables were significantly associated with colonization. In conclusion, β-lactams remain the first-choice agents for intrapartum prophylaxis, whereas high resistance rates to macrolides and lincosamides reinforce the need for individualized antimicrobial susceptibility testing in penicillin-allergic women. The progressive incorporation of rapid molecular methods such as qPCR, in association with conventional culture, can enhance screening accuracy and support evidence-based strategies for preventing S. agalactiae infections in obstetric care.

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Published

2025-12-03

How to Cite

1.
Naves Amaral W, Sousa Pires T, Lamaro Cardoso J, Moreira Garcia WJ, Sousa Rodrigues B. Antimicrobial resistance profile of streptococcus agalactiae in parturients treated at a public hospital in Goiânia: implications for intrapartum prophylaxis. Rev Goiana Med [Internet]. 2025 Dec. 3 [cited 2026 Jan. 31];67(69):e25634. Available from: https://www.amg.org.br/osj/index.php/RGM/article/view/634