Background Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is the leading cause of sepsis and meningitis in infants.The molecular epidemiology and potential vaccine coverage of GBS disease in infants was assessed in the Netherlands over a 37-year period. MethodsThis nationwide observational study identified infants aged 0-89 days with GBS culture-positive sepsis or meningitis between July 1987 and June 2024, through Dutch surveillance.Serotype was determined by latex agglutination.Whole-genome sequencing determined the clonal complex (CC) using multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) and identified virulence factors associated with meningitis.Strain coverage by the maternal vaccines GBS6 and GBS-AlpN were analysed.Findings 2212 episodes were identified; 1307 (59%) early onset disease (0-6 days) and 905 (41%) late onset disease (7-89 days).Mean annual incidence was 033 per 1000 live births and significantly increased from 019 in 1987 to 057 in 2023 due to an increase in sepsis cases (p 96% of cases.
Groenveld et al. (2026) studied this question.