Comparison of 4 commercially available group B Streptococcus molecular assays using remnant rectal-vaginal enrichment broths

Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis. 2018 Aug;91(4):305-308. doi: 10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2018.03.012. Epub 2018 Mar 28.

Abstract

The incidence of neonatal Group B streptococcal (GBS) disease has significantly declined since the widespread implementation of prenatal screening of expectant mothers for urogenital and gastrointestinal tract GBS colonization. Screening methods have evolved from exclusively culture-based approaches to more rapid and highly sensitive molecular methods. We chose to evaluate the performance of 4 commercially available GBS molecular tests for detection of GBS colonization using 299 antepartum rectal-vaginal specimens submitted to our laboratory for routine GBS screening. In 97% of instances, there was agreement between all 3 systems. When testing 1, 6, and 12 samples simultaneously, all methods performed comparably, but the ARIES® GBS assay required the least total hands-on time and the illumigene® Group B Streptococcus assay required the most hands-on time.

Keywords: Group B Streptococcus; Neonatal meningitis; Neonatal sepsis; Real-time PCR; Streptococcus agalactiae.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Bacteriological Techniques / methods*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Infant, Newborn, Diseases / prevention & control
  • Molecular Diagnostic Techniques / methods*
  • Pregnancy
  • Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / diagnosis*
  • Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / microbiology
  • Prenatal Diagnosis / methods
  • Rectum / microbiology*
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Streptococcal Infections / diagnosis*
  • Streptococcal Infections / microbiology
  • Streptococcus agalactiae / genetics*
  • Time Factors
  • Vagina / microbiology*
  • Young Adult