TY - JOUR AU - Cutland, Clare AU - Schrag, Stephanie AU - Thigpen, Michael AU - Velaphi, Sithembiso AU - Wadula, Jeannette AU - Adrian, Peter AU - Kuwanda, Locadiah AU - Groome, Michelle AU - Buchmann, Eckhart AU - Madhi, Shabir T1 - Increased Risk for Group B Streptococcus Sepsis in Young Infants Exposed to HIV, Soweto, South Africa, 2004–2008 T2 - Emerging Infectious Disease journal PY - 2015 VL - 21 IS - 4 SP - 638 SN - 1080-6059 AB - Although group B Streptococcus (GBS) is a leading cause of severe invasive disease in young infants worldwide, epidemiologic data and knowledge about risk factors for the disease are lacking from low- to middle-income countries. To determine the epidemiology of invasive GBS disease among young infants in a setting with high maternal HIV infection, we conducted hospital-based surveillance during 2004–2008 in Soweto, South Africa. Overall GBS incidence was 2.72 cases/1,000 live births (1.50 and 1.22, respectively, among infants with early-onset disease [EOD] and late-onset [LOD] disease). Risk for EOD and LOD was higher for HIV-exposed than HIV-unexposed infants. GBS serotypes Ia and III accounted for 84.0% of cases, and 16.9% of infected infants died. We estimate that use of trivalent GBS vaccine (serotypes Ia, Ib, and III) could prevent 2,105 invasive GBS cases and 278 deaths annually among infants in South Africa; therefore, vaccination of all pregnant women in this country should be explored. KW - group B Streptococcus KW - GBS KW - early-onset disease KW - late-onset disease KW - HIV KW - serotype KW - bacteria KW - viruses KW - South Africa KW - sepsis KW - exposure KW - increased risk KW - vaccine KW - infants KW - pregnant women KW - epidemiology KW - invasive disease KW - streptococci DO - 10.3201/eid2104.141562 UR - https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/21/4/14-1562_article ER - End of Reference