Scientific Program

1st International Symposium on Streptococcus agalactiae Disease (ISSAD) Agenda

Program oversight | Shabir Madhi (RMPRU/ALIVE: University of the Witwatersrand) |
Ajoke Sobanjo-ter Meulen (BMGF: Global Lead Maternal Immunization)

DAY 1: Wednesday 21st February 2018
08:15- 08:30: Welcome and opening: Shabir Madhi/Ajoke Sobanjo-ter Meulen

SESSION 1: Burden of invasive GBS disease in infants, including treatment and sequelae.
Chairs: Paul Heath/ Clare Cutland

Time Event
08:30–09:15 Plenary 5.2 million neonatal deaths and stillbirths: what is progressing, what is not and what would be highest impact now?   (Joy Lawn, UK)
09:15–09:35 Trends in reported infant invasive GBS disease incidence, sequelae and serotype distribution in high income countries.(Stephanie Schrag, USA)
09: 35 – 9:55 Trends in reported infant invasive GBS disease incidence, sequelae and serotype distribution in LMIC.(Ziyaad Dangor, SA)
9:55-10:15 Infant invasive GBS disease morbidity and mortality based on a compartment model, comparing input data and modeled data, with implications for data improvement. (Anna Seale, UK)
10.15-10.35 Session discussions

10:35-11:00: Coffee break

SESSION 2: Maternal and neonatal GBS colonisation: (Include immunology of colonization, serotype distribution)
Chair: Carol Baker/Ziyaad Dangor

Time Event
11:00-11:20 Maternal colonisation with Group B Streptococcus and serotype distribution: systematic review and meta-analyses. (Neal Russell, UK)
11:20-11:40 Dynamics of peripartum neonatal colonisation: Role of breast milk and immunological mediators against acquisition beyond the newborn period. (Kirsty LeDoare, UK)
11:40-12:00 Trends in reported infant invasive GBS disease incidence, sequelae and serotype distribution in LMIC.(Ziyaad Dangor, SA)
12:00-12:10 Accepted oral: Prevalence of early onset Group B streptococcal disease among newborn in a tertiary institution in India over a 20 year period (Sridhar Santhanam, India)
12:10-12:20 Accepted oral: Group B Streptococcal bacteremia burden and trends over time, 2007-15, Thailand (Wantana Paveenkittiporn, Thailand)
12:20–12:30 Accepted oral: Differential rates of GBS carriage in pregnant women in London, UK (Theresa Lamagni, UK)
12:30–12:40 Accepted oral: Predictors of neurological sequelae at 1 year of age in infants diagnosed with invasive group B Streptococcal disease in infancy. (Firdose Nakwa, SA)

12:40-14.30: Lunch and poster viewing

SESSION 3: GBS and pregnancy outcomes (include maternal disease, association with stillbirths, preterm birth, microbiome and birth outcomes)
Chair: Joy Lawn/ Anna Seale

Time Event
14:30-14:50 Burden of invasive and non-invasive GBS disease in pregnant women and post-partum. (Fiona Denison
14:50- 15:10 The Vaginal Microbiome, Preterm Birth and GBS colonisation. (Phil Bennett, UK)
15:10-15:30 Newborn microbiome disruption due to IAP: Current hypotheses and evidence regarding Impact on health outcomes for the newborn, child and beyond. (Karen Puopolo, USA)
15.30-15.40 Session discussion
15.40-15.50 Accepted oral: Use of Minimally Invasive Tissue Sampling (MITS) to characterize the role of Group B streptococcus in neonatal death (Richard Chawana)
15.50-16.00 Accepted oral: Relationship between vaginal microbiota and Streptococcus agalactiae in Pregnant Zimbabwean women (Heather Jaspan)

16.00-16.20: Tea break

SESSION 4: Burden of GBS disease in adults and other high risk groups (including GBS serotype distribution/ virulence)
Chair: Kathy Edwards/ Morven Edwards

Time Event
16:35-16:55 Epidemiology of adult GBS disease in high income countries and implications for vaccine prevention: The United States experience as a case study. (Monica Farley, USA)
16:55-17:15 Pathogenesis, clinical syndromes and immune responses to GBS in adults. (Morven Edwards, USA)
17:15-17:35 Global aspects of GBS disease in adults, including zoonotic interface. (Margaret Ip, Hong Kong)
17:35-17:45 Accepted oral: Burden of Invasive and Non-invasive Group B Streptococcal Infections in hospitalized adults, Louisville, Kentucky: preliminary analysis of a large population-based study. (David Swerdlow)
17:45-18:00 Discussion

DAY 2: Thursday 22nd February 2018

SESSION 5: Challenges and advances in diagnosis of GBS disease
Chairs: Sithembiso Velaphi/ Ajoke Sobanjo-ter Meulen

Time Event
08:00-08:20 Invasive bacterial diseases including GBS: increasing the quality and quality of data to measure and reduce the burden (Joy Lawn, UK)
08:20-08:40 Use of molecular assays for diagnosing and quantifying invasive bacterial, including GBS, disease in Africa. (Sithembiso Velaphi, SA)
08:40-09:00 Defining the role of infections, including GBS in stillbirths in LMIC: Early lessons learnt from Minimal Invasive Tissue Sampling. (Shabir Madhi, SA)
09:00-09:15 Session discussion
09:15-09:25 Accepted oral: The association between breastmilk Group B Streptococcus serotype III capsular antibody levels and late-onset disease. (Mahtaab Khan)
09:25-09:35 Accepted oral: Placental macrophages release extracellular traps and matrix metalloproteinases in response to Streptococcus agalactiae infection (Ryan Doster)

09:35-10:05: Coffee break

SESSION 6: GBS genomics and molecular epidemiology
Chairs: Stephen Bentley/ Lesley McGee

Time Event
10:05-10:25 Genomics and molecular epidemiology of invasive GBS in the United States, 2015-2016. (Lesley McGee, USA)
10:25-10:45 Genome-wide investigations of GBS biology using Tn-seq. (Thomas Hooven, USA)
10:45-11:05 Recent evolution of invasive GBS lineages shows successive expansion and replacement events dominated by emergence of a distinct CC17 clone associated with novel MGE acquisition (Dorota Jamrozy, UK)
11:05-11:25 Session discussion
11:25-11:35 Accepted oral: Ribosomal protein based MALDI-TOF MS subspecies typing of Streptococcus agalactiae and its potential in GBS epidemiology and vaccine development (Julian Rothen)
11:35-11:45 Accepted oral: Diversity of Two-Component Systems among Group B Streptococcus (GBS) Clinical Isolates Recovered from Different Geographic Locations (Cole McCutcheon)
11:45-11:55 Accepted oral: The role of a transcriptional regulator phoB in virulence of hyper-virulent Streptococcus agalactiae serotype III subtype IV (Ying Yang)

11:55-12.45: Special Lecture: The Carol J. Baker lecture (Introduction by Shabir Madhi)
“Development of a GBS Vaccine: A Long Day’s Journey into Light”. by Carol J. Baker

12.45-14.00: Lunch and Posters

Session 7: IAP: Implementation, impact and integration of GBS prevention strategies)
Chairs: Stephanie Schrag/ Paul Heath

Time Event
14:00–14:20 Potential threats to IAP strategies: Emerging antimicrobial resistance among GBS and other neonatal pathogens and unnecessary newborn workup/treatment. (Ruth Lynfield, USA)
14:20–14:40 Challenges in the prevention of neonatal Group B Streptococcal infection: the UK approach. (Rhona Hughes, UK)
14:40-15:00 Session discussion
15.00-15:10 Accepted oral: Increasing macrolide resistance among Streptococcus agalactiae causing invasive disease in non-pregnant adults in Portugal (2009-2015) was driven by a single clone after capsular switching. (Elisabete Martins)
15.10-15:20 Accepted oral: Beneficial effects of 2g of azithromycin given during labour in the women and offspring: a double-blind randomized trial. (Anna Roca)
15.20-15:30 Accepted oral: Antibiotic resistance among group B streptococcal isolates from invasive early- and late-onset disease in the United States, 2006-2015 (Srinivas Nanduri)

15.30-16.00: Tea break

SESSION 8: Advocacy for GBS prevention strategies: non-vaccine and vaccines
Chairs: Ajoke Sobanjo-ter Meulen/ Jane Plumb

Time Event
16:00-16:20 The role of advocacy for Group B streptococcus prevention strategies. (Jane Plumb, UK, Carol Baker, USA)
16:20-16:50 Affected parents’ perspective on GBS
16:50-17:05 Strategizing on advocacy for future GBS vaccine introduction in Low, middle and high income countries. (Helen Rees, SA)
17.05-17.30 Panel discussion: What groundwork is needed before the GBS vaccine is available to make its adoption & implementation as fast & as smooth as we’d all like? Moderator: Ajoke Sobanjo-ter Meulen (Carol Baker, Helen Rees, Jane Plumb, Joy Lawn, Sithembiso Velaphi)

19.30 CONFERENCE NETWORKING/ GALA DINNER: Century City Conference Centre

DAY 3: Friday 23rd February 2018

SESSION 9: GBS in animals
Chairs: Margaret Ip/ Philipp Henneke

Time Event
08:00-08:20 GBS in fish and feed based vaccination. (Zamri-Saad)
08:20-08:40 New genetic systems and animal models to dissect GBS pathogenesis. (Adam Ratner)
08:40-08:50 Session Discussion
08:50-09:00 Accepted Oral: Streptococcus agalactiae ST283 causing invasive human sepsis is widespread in SE Asia (Timothy Barkham)
09:00-09:10 Accepted Oral: Human GBS as foodborne pathogen originating from fish (Ruth Zadocks)
09:10-09:20 Accepted Oral: Genomic insights into a foodborne outbreak of Group B Streptococcus (Swaine Chen)
09:20-09:30 Accepted oral: Impact of Lactobacillus on Group B Streptococus Pathogenicity (Megan Shiroda)

Tea/Coffee: 9:30-09:50

SESSION 10: Pathogenesis and mechanisms underlying host susceptibility to disease
Chairs: David Aronoff/ Douglas Golenbock

Time Event
09:50–10:10 Role of human cervical mucus plugs in GBS infection (Lakshmi Rajagopal, USA)
10:10–10:30 Importance of pigment/ hemolysin to pathogenesis (How do non-pigmented strains of GBS cause invasive disease) (Clair Poyart, France)
10:30–10:50 Nutritional Immunity at the GBS-host interface during pregnancy.
(Jennifer Gaddy, USA)
10:50–11:10 TLR13 and immune recognition of GBS. (Julia Kolter, Germany)
11:10–11:30 Neutrophils and GBS pathogenesis. (Clare Gendrin, USA)
11:30–11:40 Accepted oral: Association of Natural Induced Antibodies against Group B Streptococcus Surface Proteins and Invasive Disease in Neonates and Early Infancy (Sonwabile Dzanibe)
11:40–12:00 Session discussion

12.00-12.45: Lunch

SESSION 11: GBS immunology – Assay standardisation and correlates for protection (invasive disease and colonization) Chairs: Kirsty Le Doare/ David Goldblatt

 

 

Time Event
12:45–13:05 Establishing correlates of protection – what does it take. (David Goldblatt, UK)
13:05–13:25 GBS assays and what they measure. (Andrew Gorringe, UK)
13:25–13:45 Statistical approaches to establishing correlates of protection. (Alane Izu, SA)
13:45-14:00 Session discussion
14:00-14:10 Accepted oral: Association between mucosal immune response and Group B Streptococcus colonization in pregnant women (Gaurav Kwatra)
14:10–14:20 Accepted Oral: Surface Immunogenic Protein of Streptococcus agalactiae could be a new vaccine adjuvant (Abel Vasquez)

(10 min break)

SESSION 12: GBS vaccine: Clinical development and early lessons
Chairs: Ajoke Sobanjo-ter Meulen / Gerhard Theron

<td15:30-15.45

Time Event
14:30-14:50 Lessons learnt from phase I-II GBS trivalent polysaccharide protein conjugate vaccines studies. (Shabir Madhi)
14:50-15:10 Usefulness of a serological endpoint for GBS exposure in early clinical; trials. (Keith Klugman)
15.10-15:30 Licensure of a GBS vaccine: regulator’s perspective (Khamusi Mutoti, SA)
15:30-15.45 Vaccine development (Pfizer)
15.45-16.00 Vaccine development (GSK)
16.00-16.15 Vaccine development (Minervax)
16.15-16.30 Discussion and closing remarks (Ajoke Sobanjo-ter Meulen)

16:30: Tea break/ departure

+ Day 1 | 21 February 2018

DAY 1: Wednesday 21st February 2018
08:15- 08:30: Welcome and opening: Shabir Madhi/Ajoke Sobanjo-ter Meulen

SESSION 1: Burden of invasive GBS disease in infants, including treatment and sequelae.
Chairs: Paul Heath/ Clare Cutland

Time Event
08:30–09:15 Plenary 5.2 million neonatal deaths and stillbirths: what is progressing, what is not and what would be highest impact now?   (Joy Lawn, UK)
09:15–09:35 Trends in reported infant invasive GBS disease incidence, sequelae and serotype distribution in high income countries.(Stephanie Schrag, USA)
09: 35 – 9:55 Trends in reported infant invasive GBS disease incidence, sequelae and serotype distribution in LMIC.(Ziyaad Dangor, SA)
9:55-10:15 Infant invasive GBS disease morbidity and mortality based on a compartment model, comparing input data and modeled data, with implications for data improvement. (Anna Seale, UK)
10.15-10.35 Session discussions

10:35-11:00: Coffee break

SESSION 2: Maternal and neonatal GBS colonisation: (Include immunology of colonization, serotype distribution)
Chair: Carol Baker/Ziyaad Dangor

Time Event
11:00-11:20 Maternal colonisation with Group B Streptococcus and serotype distribution: systematic review and meta-analyses. (Neal Russell, UK)
11:20-11:40 Dynamics of peripartum neonatal colonisation: Role of breast milk and immunological mediators against acquisition beyond the newborn period. (Kirsty LeDoare, UK)
11:40-12:00 Trends in reported infant invasive GBS disease incidence, sequelae and serotype distribution in LMIC.(Ziyaad Dangor, SA)
12:00-12:10 Accepted oral: Prevalence of early onset Group B streptococcal disease among newborn in a tertiary institution in India over a 20 year period (Sridhar Santhanam, India)
12:10-12:20 Accepted oral: Group B Streptococcal bacteremia burden and trends over time, 2007-15, Thailand (Wantana Paveenkittiporn, Thailand)
12:20–12:30 Accepted oral: Differential rates of GBS carriage in pregnant women in London, UK (Theresa Lamagni, UK)
12:30–12:40 Accepted oral: Predictors of neurological sequelae at 1 year of age in infants diagnosed with invasive group B Streptococcal disease in infancy. (Firdose Nakwa, SA)

12:40-14.30: Lunch and poster viewing

SESSION 3: GBS and pregnancy outcomes (include maternal disease, association with stillbirths, preterm birth, microbiome and birth outcomes)
Chair: Joy Lawn/ Anna Seale

Time Event
14:30-14:50 Burden of invasive and non-invasive GBS disease in pregnant women and post-partum. (Fiona Denison
14:50- 15:10 The Vaginal Microbiome, Preterm Birth and GBS colonisation. (Phil Bennett, UK)
15:10-15:30 Newborn microbiome disruption due to IAP: Current hypotheses and evidence regarding Impact on health outcomes for the newborn, child and beyond. (Karen Puopolo, USA)
15.30-15.40 Session discussion
15.40-15.50 Accepted oral: Use of Minimally Invasive Tissue Sampling (MITS) to characterize the role of Group B streptococcus in neonatal death (Richard Chawana)
15.50-16.00 Accepted oral: Relationship between vaginal microbiota and Streptococcus agalactiae in Pregnant Zimbabwean women (Heather Jaspan)

16.00-16.20: Tea break

SESSION 4: Burden of GBS disease in adults and other high risk groups (including GBS serotype distribution/ virulence)
Chair: Kathy Edwards/ Morven Edwards

Time Event
16:35-16:55 Epidemiology of adult GBS disease in high income countries and implications for vaccine prevention: The United States experience as a case study. (Monica Farley, USA)
16:55-17:15 Pathogenesis, clinical syndromes and immune responses to GBS in adults. (Morven Edwards, USA)
17:15-17:35 Global aspects of GBS disease in adults, including zoonotic interface. (Margaret Ip, Hong Kong)
17:35-17:45 Accepted oral: Burden of Invasive and Non-invasive Group B Streptococcal Infections in hospitalized adults, Louisville, Kentucky: preliminary analysis of a large population-based study. (David Swerdlow)
17:45-18:00 Discussion
+ DAY 2 | 22 February 2018

DAY 2: Thursday 22nd February 2018

SESSION 5: Challenges and advances in diagnosis of GBS disease
Chairs: Sithembiso Velaphi/ Ajoke Sobanjo-ter Meulen

Time Event
08:00-08:20 Invasive bacterial diseases including GBS: increasing the quality and quality of data to measure and reduce the burden (Joy Lawn, UK)
08:20-08:40 Use of molecular assays for diagnosing and quantifying invasive bacterial, including GBS, disease in Africa. (Sithembiso Velaphi, SA)
08:40-09:00 Defining the role of infections, including GBS in stillbirths in LMIC: Early lessons learnt from Minimal Invasive Tissue Sampling. (Shabir Madhi, SA)
09:00-09:15 Session discussion
09:15-09:25 Accepted oral: The association between breastmilk Group B Streptococcus serotype III capsular antibody levels and late-onset disease. (Mahtaab Khan)
09:25-09:35 Accepted oral: Placental macrophages release extracellular traps and matrix metalloproteinases in response to Streptococcus agalactiae infection (Ryan Doster)

09:35-10:05: Coffee break

SESSION 6: GBS genomics and molecular epidemiology
Chairs: Stephen Bentley/ Lesley McGee

Time Event
10:05-10:25 Genomics and molecular epidemiology of invasive GBS in the United States, 2015-2016. (Lesley McGee, USA)
10:25-10:45 Genome-wide investigations of GBS biology using Tn-seq. (Thomas Hooven, USA)
10:45-11:05 Recent evolution of invasive GBS lineages shows successive expansion and replacement events dominated by emergence of a distinct CC17 clone associated with novel MGE acquisition (Dorota Jamrozy, UK)
11:05-11:25 Session discussion
11:25-11:35 Accepted oral: Ribosomal protein based MALDI-TOF MS subspecies typing of Streptococcus agalactiae and its potential in GBS epidemiology and vaccine development (Julian Rothen)
11:35-11:45 Accepted oral: Diversity of Two-Component Systems among Group B Streptococcus (GBS) Clinical Isolates Recovered from Different Geographic Locations (Cole McCutcheon)
11:45-11:55 Accepted oral: The role of a transcriptional regulator phoB in virulence of hyper-virulent Streptococcus agalactiae serotype III subtype IV (Ying Yang)

11:55-12.45: Special Lecture: The Carol J. Baker lecture (Introduction by Shabir Madhi)
“Development of a GBS Vaccine: A Long Day’s Journey into Light”. by Carol J. Baker

12.45-14.00: Lunch and Posters

Session 7: IAP: Implementation, impact and integration of GBS prevention strategies)
Chairs: Stephanie Schrag/ Paul Heath

Time Event
14:00–14:20 Potential threats to IAP strategies: Emerging antimicrobial resistance among GBS and other neonatal pathogens and unnecessary newborn workup/treatment. (Ruth Lynfield, USA)
14:20–14:40 Challenges in the prevention of neonatal Group B Streptococcal infection: the UK approach. (Rhona Hughes, UK)
14:40-15:00 Session discussion
15.00-15:10 Accepted oral: Increasing macrolide resistance among Streptococcus agalactiae causing invasive disease in non-pregnant adults in Portugal (2009-2015) was driven by a single clone after capsular switching. (Elisabete Martins)
15.10-15:20 Accepted oral: Beneficial effects of 2g of azithromycin given during labour in the women and offspring: a double-blind randomized trial. (Anna Roca)
15.20-15:30 Accepted oral: Antibiotic resistance among group B streptococcal isolates from invasive early- and late-onset disease in the United States, 2006-2015 (Srinivas Nanduri)

15.30-16.00: Tea break

SESSION 8: Advocacy for GBS prevention strategies: non-vaccine and vaccines
Chairs: Ajoke Sobanjo-ter Meulen/ Jane Plumb

Time Event
16:00-16:20 The role of advocacy for Group B streptococcus prevention strategies. (Jane Plumb, UK, Carol Baker, USA)
16:20-16:50 Affected parents’ perspective on GBS
16:50-17:05 Strategizing on advocacy for future GBS vaccine introduction in Low, middle and high income countries. (Helen Rees, SA)
17.05-17.30 Panel discussion: What groundwork is needed before the GBS vaccine is available to make its adoption & implementation as fast & as smooth as we’d all like? Moderator: Ajoke Sobanjo-ter Meulen (Carol Baker, Helen Rees, Jane Plumb, Joy Lawn, Sithembiso Velaphi)

19.30 CONFERENCE NETWORKING/ GALA DINNER: Century City Conference Centre

+ DAY 3 | 23 February 2018

DAY 3: Friday 23rd February 2018

SESSION 9: GBS in animals
Chairs: Margaret Ip/ Philipp Henneke

Time Event
08:00-08:20 GBS in fish and feed based vaccination. (Zamri-Saad)
08:20-08:40 New genetic systems and animal models to dissect GBS pathogenesis. (Adam Ratner)
08:40-08:50 Session Discussion
08:50-09:00 Accepted Oral: Streptococcus agalactiae ST283 causing invasive human sepsis is widespread in SE Asia (Timothy Barkham)
09:00-09:10 Accepted Oral: Human GBS as foodborne pathogen originating from fish (Ruth Zadocks)
09:10-09:20 Accepted Oral: Genomic insights into a foodborne outbreak of Group B Streptococcus (Swaine Chen)
09:20-09:30 Accepted oral: Impact of Lactobacillus on Group B Streptococus Pathogenicity (Megan Shiroda)

Tea/Coffee: 9:30-09:50

SESSION 10: Pathogenesis and mechanisms underlying host susceptibility to disease
Chairs: David Aronoff/ Douglas Golenbock

Time Event
09:50–10:10 Role of human cervical mucus plugs in GBS infection (Lakshmi Rajagopal, USA)
10:10–10:30 Importance of pigment/ hemolysin to pathogenesis (How do non-pigmented strains of GBS cause invasive disease) (Clair Poyart, France)
10:30–10:50 Nutritional Immunity at the GBS-host interface during pregnancy.
(Jennifer Gaddy, USA)
10:50–11:10 TLR13 and immune recognition of GBS. (Julia Kolter, Germany)
11:10–11:30 Neutrophils and GBS pathogenesis. (Clare Gendrin, USA)
11:30–11:40 Accepted oral: Association of Natural Induced Antibodies against Group B Streptococcus Surface Proteins and Invasive Disease in Neonates and Early Infancy (Sonwabile Dzanibe)
11:40–12:00 Session discussion

12.00-12.45: Lunch

SESSION 11: GBS immunology – Assay standardisation and correlates for protection (invasive disease and colonization) Chairs: Kirsty Le Doare/ David Goldblatt

 

 

Time Event
12:45–13:05 Establishing correlates of protection – what does it take. (David Goldblatt, UK)
13:05–13:25 GBS assays and what they measure. (Andrew Gorringe, UK)
13:25–13:45 Statistical approaches to establishing correlates of protection. (Alane Izu, SA)
13:45-14:00 Session discussion
14:00-14:10 Accepted oral: Association between mucosal immune response and Group B Streptococcus colonization in pregnant women (Gaurav Kwatra)
14:10–14:20 Accepted Oral: Surface Immunogenic Protein of Streptococcus agalactiae could be a new vaccine adjuvant (Abel Vasquez)

(10 min break)

SESSION 12: GBS vaccine: Clinical development and early lessons
Chairs: Ajoke Sobanjo-ter Meulen / Gerhard Theron

<td15:30-15.45

Time Event
14:30-14:50 Lessons learnt from phase I-II GBS trivalent polysaccharide protein conjugate vaccines studies. (Shabir Madhi)
14:50-15:10 Usefulness of a serological endpoint for GBS exposure in early clinical; trials. (Keith Klugman)
15.10-15:30 Licensure of a GBS vaccine: regulator’s perspective (Khamusi Mutoti, SA)
15:30-15.45 Vaccine development (Pfizer)
15.45-16.00 Vaccine development (GSK)
16.00-16.15 Vaccine development (Minervax)
16.15-16.30 Discussion and closing remarks (Ajoke Sobanjo-ter Meulen)

16:30: Tea break/ departure

We look forward to welcoming you to the Mother City!

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