We are a bi-annual International Conference dedicated to Group B streptococcus (GBS). Group B Strep is a type of bacteria that can exist in the female reproductive tract without causing symptoms. Up to 30% of healthy women can carry Group B Strep, which usually does not cause problems. However, sometimes it can lead to severe infection of the bloodstream, infection of the placenta, or urinary tract infection. Group B Strep can also have severe consequences for the baby, causing potentially life-threatening conditions in the newborn, including meningitis, pneumonia, and sepsis.
This global conference is led by an International Scientific Committee and Communications Working Group selected by the co-leads of the conference.
The inaugural Group B Strep international conference occurred in Cape Town, South Africa, in 2018. This symposium was the first of its kind, bringing together key stakeholders, experts, and students in various fields of Group B Streptococcus (GBS). Which are the leading cause of bacterial meningitis in young infants in the UK and USA and one of the most common causes of sepsis in neonates and young infants globally. Organised by Prof Ajoke Sobanjo-ter Meulen (formerly Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation) and Prof Shabir A. Madhi (Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences and Professor of Vaccinology at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg).
The 2nd International Symposium on ‘Streptococcus agalactiae’ Disease occurred on 3rd – 5th November 2021 in London, UK. The London ISSAD Conference was an online free, interactive and comprehensive platform covering topics ranging from the GBS disease burden and challenges to the epidemiology, immune systems, the development of a GBS vaccine and everything in between. Organised by Prof Joy Lawn (Director of the MARCH Centre, LSHTM) and Prof Beate Kampmann (Director of The Vaccine Centre, LSHTM).
The 3rd International Symposium on ‘Streptococcus agalactiae’ Disease will occur in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, in 2023. Organisers of the next conference are Prof Tatiana Pinto and Prof. Lucia Teixeira from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.
For further information about Group B Strep and Group B Strep family support, please visit our partners, Group B Strep Support and Group B Strep International.
We welcome everyone to the next event in Brazil in 2023!