About the Authors
- Mashudu Madzivhandila
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Affiliation Vaccine Preventable Diseases and Respiratory and Meningeal Pathogens Research Unit, Department of Science and Technology/National Research Foundation, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Peter V. Adrian
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Affiliation Vaccine Preventable Diseases and Respiratory and Meningeal Pathogens Research Unit, Department of Science and Technology/National Research Foundation, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Clare L. Cutland
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Affiliation Vaccine Preventable Diseases and Respiratory and Meningeal Pathogens Research Unit, Department of Science and Technology/National Research Foundation, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Locadiah Kuwanda
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Affiliation Vaccine Preventable Diseases and Respiratory and Meningeal Pathogens Research Unit, Department of Science and Technology/National Research Foundation, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Stephanie J. Schrag
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Affiliation Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- Shabir A. Madhi
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* E-mail: madhis@rmpru.co.za
Affiliation Vaccine Preventable Diseases and Respiratory and Meningeal Pathogens Research Unit, Department of Science and Technology/National Research Foundation, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
Competing Interests
S.A.M. is currently receiving research-grant support from Novartis in relation to GBS. All other authors declare that no competing interests exist.
Author Contributions
Conceived and designed the experiments: SAM PVA. Performed the experiments: MM PVA. Analyzed the data: MM PVA LK. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: SJS. Undertook the serologic and molecular serotyping of isolates, contributed to the analyses and drafted the initial manuscript: MM PVA. Was involved in sample collection and contributed to the manuscript write-up: CLC. Assisted in data analysis and manuscript write-up: LK. Provided GBS control strains and contributed to the manuscript write-up: SJS. Conceived the study, supervised the overall project and contributed to data analysis and write-up of the manuscript: SAM PVA. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.