[Sportschosun reporter Jang Jong-ho] Group B streptococcus (GBS), a major cause of severe infections in newborns, is showing an increasing tendency to resist Penicillin, the standard treatment, according to a new study.
A research team led by Professor Jang Jeong-hyun of the Department of Laboratory Medicine at Inje University Ilsan Paik Hospital analyzed 257,884 microbiological test results collected over 24 years, from 2000 to 2023.
The analysis found that both the detection rate of GBS and the proportion of strains with reduced susceptibility to Penicillin increased significantly over time.
According to the study, GBS was identified in 3,003 cases, or 1.16%, of all tests. Among them, 29 cases, or 0.97%, were strains with reduced susceptibility to Penicillin. The team divided the study period into 2000-2009, 2010-2019, and 2020-2023, and found that the resistance trend became more pronounced in the most recent years.
GBS is a normal bacterium found in the intestines or vagina of healthy adults, but if it is transmitted to newborns during childbirth, it can lead to life-threatening infections such as sepsis, pneumonia, and meningitis. It can be especially dangerous for newborns with weak immune systems, as well as older adults and patients with diabetes, so caution is needed.
Until now, the standard treatment for GBS infections has been Penicillin-based antibiotics. However, the study found that strains with reduced susceptibility to Penicillin also tended to respond poorly to other antibiotics, raising concerns that treatment options could become more limited.
Professor Jang Jeong-hyun of the Department of Laboratory Medicine at Inje University Ilsan Paik Hospital said, "GBS has traditionally been known as a bacterium that responds well to Penicillin, but this study confirmed the possibility of increasing resistance." He added, "For newborns and high-risk patients, more precise treatment strategies based on strain-specific antibiotic susceptibility testing are needed."
Professor Jang added, "Close cooperation between the Department of Laboratory Medicine and clinical departments is essential for the accurate use of antibiotics, and continuous surveillance and research are important to prevent the spread of resistant bacteria."
The study is significant because it tracked changes in antibiotic resistance based on long-term clinical data collected over 24 years. It is being praised for providing empirical evidence of a rising resistance trend that is difficult to confirm in short-term studies.
Professor Jang said, "These findings could serve as evidence for future infection-control policies, including improvements to guidelines on preventive antibiotic use in newborns, stronger GBS screening for pregnant women, and the establishment of hospital systems to manage resistance." He also said, "We plan to conduct multicenter studies in the future to identify the causes of resistance."
The results were published in a recent issue of the SCIE-indexed international journal Antibiotics.
Jang Jong-ho, bellho@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
