Invasive group B streptococcal infection in infants in Shenzhen, China.

OBJECTIVE In this study, we aim to investigate the distribution and antibiotic susceptibility of Group B Streptococcus (GBS) in infants younger than 90 days in Shenzhen, China. METHODS A retrospective study was conducted to evaluate GBS infection over an 4-year period. Starting from January 2010, we evaluated the laboratory data, clinical manifestations, treatment and outcomes of patients admitted to our hospital with invasive GBS infection. Furthermore, we analyzed distribution of isolates from infants < 90 days with GBS or non-GBS invasive infection. RESULTS The registered cases of invasive GBS infection (n = 40, male: 23, female: 17) were classified as sepsis (n = 24), meningitis (n = 2), or both (n = 14). Patients with sepsis recovered completely. Among patients with meningitis, 1 (6.3%) died from ventricular hemorrhage, and 4 (25%) showed sequelae during the follow up of 3 months. Among the 377 isolates (45 from the 40 infants with invasive GBS infection, 332 from infants with non-GBS invasive infections), the detection rate of GBS was 11.9% (45/377), accounted for 11.2% of sepsis and 18.4% of meningitis cases. All 45 isolates were susceptible to penicillin, vancomycin, linezolid, tigecycline, and quinolones. Resistance to erythromycin, clindamycin, and tetracycline was found in 19 (42%), 29 (64%), and 42 (93%) isolates, respectively. CONCLUSION GBS is an important pathogen in infants < 90 days in Shenzhen, China, which results in high mortality and neurological sequelae. GBS strains show strong resistance to clindamycin and erythromycin.