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Abstract
An intramural population of 2480 neonates (88.7 % of total births at the Grace Maternity Hospital, Halifax, Canada) was studied by rectal swabs collected within one hour after birth. Group B streptococci were recovered from 54 (21.7/1 000 livebirths). Of these, 12 (4.8/1 000 livebirths) became symptomatic; all were term infants and none was born after prolonged membrane rupture. Two infants with pneumonia (0.8/1 000) had severe life threatening illness; one was infected with group B streptococcus, serotype III, the other with both serotypes I a and II. Serotyping of isolates showed equal distribution of types Ia, Ib, II and III but the symptomatic group showed a predominance of serotype III.