Abstract � Fiscal Year 2003

Abstract: Neonatal sepsis is a leading cause of childhood mortality in developing countries. Many developing countries have had strong success with implementation of prenatal vaccines (e.g., tetanus toxoid) to prevent newborn infections. Efforts to explore development of new vaccines to prevent neonatal sepsis, such as a group B streptococcal (GBS) vaccine, are often limited by a lack of data characterizing disease burden.

The objective of this research project is to support advocacy efforts for development of a maternal vaccine against GBS disease by assessing the burden of neonatal and post-partum GBS disease in an African setting. The study population will be pregnant women in Soweto, South Africa.

As an adjunct to a large clinical trial enrolling 8000 mothers and newborns, we will conduct active hospital and laboratory-based surveillance for GBS disease, assess GBS carriage among delivering women, evaluate the serotype distribution of pathogenic GBS in this population, and evaluate access to late prenatal visits to assess opportunities for vaccination.

This study will characterize the rate of invasive neonatal GBS disease and maternal post-partum infections. We anticipate that although often underappreciated, the burden will be as high as or higher than rates in the United States before active intrapartum prevention was in place. The study will also characterize the serotype distribution which will help guide vaccine formulations and determine whether formulations for Africa may need to differ from formulations for the United States and other developed countries. Evaluation of prenatal care seeking behavior will also help assess feasibility of implementing a prenatal vaccine in this setting.

Institution: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Date: July 2003

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Last updated: July 16, 2003

URL: http://www.cdc.gov/od/nvpo/research/abn34.htm

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