PREPARE

Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is a leading cause of neonatal infection in Europe, and increasingly recognised as a significant cause of neonatal infection in Sub-Saharan Africa. PREPARE aims to define and reduce the burden of neonatal, infant and maternal GBS in a Sub-Saharan African population. Long term control of GBS depends on the availability of an effective vaccine. A GBS vaccine would reduce the burden of GBS (maternal disease, stillbirths, premature births and infant disease) by protecting both mothers and infants. Several multivalent vaccines for use in pregnancy are now in clinical trials. However, several important obstacles exist before any such vaccine could be implemented. The epidemiological data upon which to estimate the GBS disease burden and potential critical impact of vaccination is lacking in many African countries. PREPARE study is designed to accelerate the development of new GBS vaccines and facilitate their evaluation and implementation in Sub-Saharan Africa. The main aim of the PREPARE study is to develop a biobank of samples from cases of GBS disease, including both the isolate and associated maternal and infant serum, and associated clinical information from seven countries (Malawi, Uganda, South Africa, UK, the Netherlands, Italy and France), together with samples from a control population (infants that do not develop GBS in the first 90 days of life). An objective of generating the bionbank will be to demonstrate the relationship between antibody quantity and function in protection against GBS disease. Additionally the isolates will be analysed using WGS to investigate serotype and GBS lineage distribution between cases and controls to identify genotypes more commonly asssociated with disease.