Isolation and characterization of group B Streptococci from genito-urinary tracts in Japan.

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Abstract
The prevalence of group B streptococci in urine specimens submitted from in-patients and out-patients to a clinical microbiology laboratory were investigated. Of 3780 urine specimens, 47 strains were identified as group B streptococci; clinical features revealed that the isolation ratio from out-patients was higher than that from in-patients and that the majority of isolates were from female urine. The isolation ratios of group B streptococci from vaginal swabs were 2.9% in 377 pregnant women at 37-40 wk of gestation and 4.8% in 335 non-pregnant women. The newborns delivered from mothers tested were investigated. Only 2 cases were positive in ear, pharyngeal and/or nasal swabs; no clinical manifestation was observed. An alternative nomenclature system of group B streptococci based on the serological classification of both heat-labile protein and heat-stable polysaccharide antigens was evaluated for the clinical isolates and compared with the original Lancefield''s procedure. The method described will provide a simple and reasonable technique for serotyping of group B streptococci.

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