Background: Group B streptococcus (GBS) or Streptococcus agalactiae are membersrnof the normal flora of the female genital tract. During labor GBS may infect thernnewborn, leading to neonatal sepsis and meningitis. GBS emerged in the 1970s as one ofrnthe most frequent causes of sepsis and meningitis in neonates and young infants. Sincernthe mid-1960s, GBS has become the major cause of bacterial infections in the perinatalrnperiod, including bacteraemia, amnionitis, endometritis, and urinary tract infection inrnpregnant women. Rates of GBS colonization vary widely throughout the world due torndifferences in laboratory investigation methods, regional variations and racialrndifferences. Report on prevalence of GBS among pregnant women in Ethiopia is veryrnlimited.rnObjectives: The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of group BrnStreptococcal (GBS) colonization among pregnant women attending antenatal clinic atrnHawassa Health centre, Hawassa Ethiopia and analyze risk factors related to GBSrncolonization.rnMethods: A total of 139 pregnant women were screened for GBS colonization betweenrnMay and June 2010. Standard microbiological methods were used to isolate and identifyrnGBS from vaginal and anorectal swabs obtained from study subjects. Antimicrobialrnsusceptibility test was performed for all GBS isolates according to the criteria of thernNational Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards by disk diffusion method.rnResults: A total of 29 out of 139 pregnant women studied (20.8%) were colonized byrnGBS. No statistically significant association was observed for GBS colonization withrnany of sociodemographic characteristics of the study subjects including age, occupation,rntype of contraceptive used, types of gravida, number of antenatal clinic visits etc. AllrnGBS strains were susceptible to penicillin, ampicillin, vancomycin and gentamicin, Lowrnlevel of resistance (