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First national surveillance of GBS meningitis and septicaemia in the UK and Ireland
01 November 2002
Results from the first national surveillance study of confirmed Group B Streptococcal (GBS) disease across the UK and Ireland are emerging.
GBS infection is the biggest cause of meningitis and septicaemia in newborn babies and it is hoped that the findings from the Meningitis Research Foundation-funded study will be used to develop guidelines to prevent GBS disease. Key findings from the study so far include:
* For every 10,000 babies born live in the UK and Ireland, nearly eight of them will develop GBS disease. The rate of disease is highest in Northern Ireland and England, followed by the Republic of Ireland and Wales. Scotland has the lowest rate of disease.
* The death rate from GBS in the UK is higher than in the US.
Unlike other industrialised countries, the UK and Ireland do not have national prevention strategies.
Further research to define risk factors is currently being carried out. The results from this should lead to national preventative strategies for the UK and Ireland. This work was presented at this year's European Society of Paediatric Infectious Diseases conference.
Read more about this project:
Research archive for the public - Gathering evidence for national strategies to prevent meningitis and septicaemia in newborn babies in the UK and Ireland
Research archive for the scientific community - GBS disease in the UK and Republic of Ireland: a surveillance and case-control study