Group B Strep in Pregnancy & Babies Conference : 12-13 July 2022

09:00 – 09:05
Welcome and introduction: Dr Edward Morris, President of the Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists, Chair of Group B Strep Support

09:05 – 09:45
Keynote lecture: Dr Carol J Baker, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas, Overview and history

09:45 – 13:00
GBS Epidemiology – Chairs Dr Caroline Trotter, University of Cambridge and Dr Colin Brown, UKHSA

09:45 – 10:15 – Dr Hannah Davies, St. Georges University of London, Neurodevelopmental Outcomes of Group B Streptococcus Infections
10:15 – 10:30 – Dr Alberto Berardi, University Hospital of Modena, Mode of transmission of group B Strep late-onset disease
10:30 – 10:45 – Dr Roberta Creti, Department of Infectious Diseases, Rome, Microbiological aspects of group B Strep late-onset disease
10:45 – 10:52 – Mrs Malene Risager Lykke, Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark, Invasive Group-B Streptococcus disease in the neonatal period and long-term risk of epilepsy – a population-based cohort study

10:55 – 11:20 – BREAK

11:20 – 11:30 – Miss Rebecca Charlesworth, Parent Voice
11:30 – 12:00 – Dr Simon Collin, UKHSA, Maternal invasive group B Strep infection in England 2016-2021
12:00 – 12:30 – Dr Emma McGuire, UKHSA, Antimicrobial resistance and group B Strep
12:30 – 12:37 – Dr Elita Jauneikaite, Imperial College London, Distribution of GBS protein vaccine targets in disease-causing GBS in the UK
12:37 – 13:00 – Panel Discussion: co chairs Dr Colin Brown and Caroline Trotter, plus Dr Alberto Berardi, Dr Simon Collin, Dr Roberta Creti, Dr Hannah Davies and Dr Emma McGuire

13:00 – 14:00 – LUNCH (including at 13:55 an update about the International Symposium on Streptococcal Agalactia Disease 2023)

14:00 – 17:15
GBS Vaccines – Chairs Prof Paul Heath, St. Georges, University of London and Prof Shabir Madhi, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg

14:00 – 14:10 – Yoyo, Parent Voice
14:10 – 14:35 – Dr Per Fischer, MinervaX, MinervaX group B Strep vaccine: supportive data, status and plans
14:35 – 15:00 – Dr Caroline Trotter, UK Health Security Agency, WHO: full value group B Strep vaccine assessment
15:00 – 15:10 – Dr Julia Rhodes, US CDC National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-led study to establish immunologic endpoints associated with protection against infant invasive group B streptococcal disease: methodology and updates

15:10 – 15:30 – BREAK

15:30 – 15:50 – Dr Kirsty Le Doare, St. George’s, University of London, Progress towards a correlate of protection: GASTON project
15:50 – 16:10 – Dr Pauline Paterson, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Acceptance, attitudes and lessons learned from other maternal vaccines 
16:10 – 16:35 – Prof Shabir Madhi, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Potential efficacy of a maternal GBS vaccine: Bridging from immunogenicity to potential efficacy
16:35 – 16:42 – Dr Konstantinos Karampatsas, St George’s, University of London, Naturally acquired serotype-specific anti-GBS CPS IgG concentrations: A pilot UK prospective cohort study
16:42 – 17:15 – Panel Discussion: co chairs Prof Paul Heath & Prof Shabir Madhi, plus Dr Carol J Baker, Dr Per Fischer and Dr Caroline Trotter

17:15 – 17:20 – Summary and close: Dr Edward Morris, President of the Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists, Chair of GBSS

09:00 – 09:05
Welcome and introduction: Dr Kathryn Gutteridge, Consultant Midwife, Past President of the Royal College of Midwives , GBSS Trustee

09:05 – 09:35
Keynote lecture: Professor Philip Steer, Imperial College, Group B Strep and maternity care

09:35 – 13:00
GBS in practice (micro and testing) – Chairs Dr Gopal Rao, London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust and Dr Jim Gray, Birmingham Children’s and Women’s Hospitals NHS Trust

09:35 – 09:55 – Dr Albert Mifsud, UK Health Security Agency, The role of the laboratory in the prevention of Early Onset Group B Streptococcus infection
09:55 – 10:15 – Dr Kathryn Guttridge, A midwife’s role in group B Strep testing: practical advice from the swab to the birth plan
10:15 – 10:35 – Dr Gopal Rao, London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust, A swab’s journey in the laboratory
10:35 – 10:42 – Ms Emelie Alsheim, University of Bath, Phospholipid vesicles for detection of maternal GBS carriage intrapartum
10:42 – 10:49 – Miss Debora da Costa Morato Nery, IMPG-UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro, Group B Streptococcus surveillance among pregnant women in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil over a period of 14 years (2008-2021)

10:50 – 11:20 – BREAK

11:20 – 11:30 – Mrs Eilidh Wise, Parent Voice
11:30 – 11:45 – Dr Jim Gray, Birmingham Women’s and Children’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, PCR – technology that has moved from exoticism to mainstream
11:45 – 12:00 – Prof Jane Daniels, University of Nottingham, PCR tests for GBS – evidence of accuracy
12:00 – 12:15 – Ms Mandip Hira, University Hospital Coventry, The challenges of setting up ECM testing in the NHS
12:15 – 12:30 – Dr Miguel Gueimonde, Dairy Research Institute of Asturias, Spanish Research Council, Impact of Intrapartum prophylaxis on microbiota of mother and baby
12:30 – 13:00 – Panel Discussion: co chairs Dr Jim Gray & Dr Gopal Rao, plus Prof Jane Daniels, Dr Miguel Gueimonde, Dr Kathryn Gutteridge, Ms Mandip Hira, Dr Albert Mifsud and Prof Philip Steer

13:00 – 14:00 – LUNCH

14:00 – 17.25
GBS in practice (clinical care) – Chairs Dr Kate Walker, University of Nottingham and Mrs Philippa Cox, Homerton University Hospital

14:00 – 14:10 – Mrs Jo Spear, Parent Voice
14:10 – 14:40 – Prof Jane Daniels, University of Nottingham, Knowledge, attitudes and acceptability of group B Strep testing in pregnancy
14:40 – 14:55 – Ms Heidi Hollands, University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust, Experience of routine testing for group B Strep as part of the GBS3 trial – Enriched Culture Medium (ECM)
14:55 – 15:10 – Ms Louise Swaminathan, Maidstone & Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust, Introducing routine intrapartum rapid testing for group B Strep at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust: our experience (so far!)
15:10 – 15:17 – Dr Bonilla Nayar, London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust, Incidence of maternal Group B Streptococcus (GBS) bacteraemia and clinical impact on mother and baby in a maternity unit in North West London

15:20 – 15:45 – BREAK

15:45 – 16:15 – Dr Kate Walker, University of Nottingham and Mrs Philippa Cox, Homerton University Hospital, Common questions from women about group B Strep and how to answer them
16:15 – 16:45 – Ms Selina Dubison, Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, GBS awareness week – learning together 
16:45 – 16:52 – Dr Luca Bedetti, University Hospital of Modena, Rates of lumbar puncture after antibiotics in infants with sepsis: an Italian multicenter study
16:52 – 17:22 – Panel Discussion: co chairs Ms Philippa Cox & Dr Kate Walker plus Ms Selina Dubison, Ms Heidi Hollands and Ms Louise Swaminathan

17:25 – 17:30
Summary and close: Dr Kathryn Gutteridge, Consultant Midwife, Past President of the Royal College of Midwives , GBSS Trustee