Group B streptoccoccal carriage in Nigeria

1038 patients of different age groups and clinical conditions attending three large hospitals in Ibadan between August 1977 and December 1978 were screened for group B streptococcal carriage. 132 (12.7%) of these patients were found to be colonized by this organism. A breakdown of the colonization rates was: in women--19.3% during the first and second trimesters of pregnancy, 17.6% during labour (third trimester) and 19% among STD patients; in adult males--9% among STD patients and nil among patients without STD; in newborns--4.7%. Type III was found most frequently (56.1%)) and there was a high incidence of R and X strains and of strains with only Ic protein. Type Ia streptococci were sensitive to penicillin G, ampicillin, erythromycin and cephalothin. Only 74.2% of the strains were sensitive to tetracycline.