Infection and meningitis in newborn babies

Infection and meningitis in newborn babies

This research was completed on 3 June 2003

Project LeaderDr D M W Crook, FRCP, FRCPath, Professor B G Spratt FMedSci, FRS and Dr N Jones, MRCP(UK), MRCPath.
LocationNuffield Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences and the Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology at the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford in conjunction with the Wellcome Trust Centre for Epidemiology of Infectious Disease (WTCEID), University of Oxford.
Grant awarded13 March 2001
Start date4 June 2001
End date3 June 2003
Grant amount£70,075.00
Grant codeSP3727
The bacterium group B streptococcus, or GBS is the leading cause of meningitis and infection in newborn babies in the UK. This life threatening infection occurs in 1 in 1000 babies and one of five babies affected will die. Many pregnant women without symptoms have GBS if they are tested, and are presumed to be at risk of infecting their babies. These researchers will check how common the infection is in pregnant women and develop ways of preventing the infection spreading to their babies. The aim is to find the difference between bacteria that are likely to cause an infection and those that are not, so antibiotics can be given to mothers when required. This work will also be important in guiding vaccine development.