Lead Investigator
Dr Konstantinos Karampatsas
Project coordinator
Dr Andrew Young
Contact details
Centre for Neonatal and Paediatric Infection
City St George’s, University of London
Cranmer Terrace
London SW17 0RE
Email: ayoung@citystgeorges.ac.uk
Telephone: 020 8672 9944, option 1, extension 30222
About the study
Group B Streptococcus is a leading cause of sepsis and meningitis in newborn babies and young infants. Although many affected babies recover, invasive GBS disease can cause severe complications or death, and some survivors of GBS meningitis experience longer-term difficulties affecting learning, hearing or movement.
The previous UK and Ireland surveillance study, conducted in 2014-15, identified 856 cases of invasive GBS disease in infants younger than 90 days, an incidence of 0.94 per 1,000 live births. Fifty-three infants died, giving a case-fatality rate of 6.2%. The incidence had increased since comparable surveillance in 2000–01, and the burden of early-onset disease had not declined despite national prevention guidelines targeted at early onset disease. These findings now describe disease patterns from more than a decade ago. Repeat surveillance is needed to establish whether the incidence, clinical characteristics, outcomes and strains causing iGBS have changed, and to assess the continuing impact of current prevention measures. This is particularly timely as maternal GBS vaccines progress through late-stage pre-licensure clinical trials.
This study will undertake 13 months of enhanced surveillance of iGBS in infants aged up to 90 days across the UK and Ireland. Cases will be identified through monthly BPSU reporting by paediatricians, routine laboratory surveillance and the submission of isolates to national reference laboratories. Reporting clinicians will complete a secure online questionnaire using information from the infant’s medical records, including details of the pregnancy and birth, clinical presentation, treatment, microbiological findings and outcome. Reports received through different surveillance routes will be reconciled and de-duplicated.
The study will estimate the current incidence of iGBS, describe the timing, clinical presentation and outcomes of disease, and characterise the serotypes and strains causing infection. The findings will support assessment of potential prevention strategies, including intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis, antenatal screening and maternal immunisation.
Publications
O’Sullivan CP, Lamagni T, Patel D, Efstratiou A, Cunney R, Meehan M, et al. Group B streptococcal disease in UK and Irish infants younger than 90 days, 2014–15: a prospective surveillance study. The Lancet Infectious Diseases. 2019;19(1):83–90.
Case definition
Any infant aged under 90 days in whom Group B Streptococcus has been identified from a normally sterile site, such as blood or cerebrospinal fluid.
Duration
September 2026 to September 2027 - 13 months of surveillance.
Funding
The study is funded and supported by Group B Strep Support.
Approval
The study has been approved by the Health Research Authority London–Central Research Ethics Committee, reference 26/LO/0331, and Confidentiality Advisory Group, reference 26/CAG/0051 under Section 251 of the NHS Act 2006.
Support group
Supported by Group B Strep Support
Partners
- City St George’s, University of London
- UK Health Security Agency
- BPSU
- Public Health Scotland
- Public Health Authority, Northern Ireland
- Public Health Wales
- Children’s Health Ireland