Group B strep disease
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Group B streptococcus (strep) is a common bacterium often carried in your intestines or lower genital tract. Group B strep is usually harmless in adults. In newborns, however, it can cause a serious illness known as group B strep disease.
Group B strep can also cause dangerous infections in adults with certain chronic medical conditions, such as diabetes or liver disease. Older adults are at increased risk of illness due to group B strep, too.
If you’re a healthy adult, there’s nothing you need to do about group B strep. If you’re pregnant, get a group B strep screening test during your third trimester. If you have group B strep, antibiotic treatment during labor can protect your baby.
Most babies born to women carrying group B strep are healthy. But the few who are infected by group B strep during labor can become critically ill.
In infants, illness caused by group B strep can take two forms: early onset or late onset.
Early-onset group B strep disease. A baby with early-onset group B strep disease becomes sick within one week after birth. Signs and symptoms may include:
Late-onset group B strep disease. Late-onset group B strep disease develops within a week to a few months after birth, usually within the first month. Signs and symptoms may include:
If you’re like many adults, you may carry group B strep in your body, usually in your bowel, vagina, rectum, bladder or throat. Most adults simply carry the bacterium and have no signs or symptoms.
In some cases, group B strep may cause a urinary tract infection or more serious infections such as blood infections (bacteremia) or pneumonia.
As an adult, if you experience any signs or symptoms of group B strep infection — particularly if you’re pregnant, you have a chronic medical condition or you’re older than 65 — contact your doctor right away.
If you notice your infant has any of the signs or symptoms of group B strep disease, tell your baby’s doctor immediately.
Many healthy people carry group B strep bacteria in their bodies. Group B strep bacteria aren’t sexually transmitted, and they’re not spread through food or water. You may carry group B strep in your body for just a short period of time, it may come and go, or you may always have it.
Group B strep can spread to a baby during a vaginal delivery if the baby is exposed to — or swallows — fluids containing group B strep.
Some individuals, such as older adults and those with chronic health conditions, can develop a more serious infection from group B strep. However, the reason this occurs in some people but not others isn’t known.
An infant is at increased risk of developing group B strep disease if:
You’re at increased risk of a group B strep infection if:
Group B strep infection can lead to life-threatening complications in infants, including:
If you’re a pregnant woman, group B strep can cause:
If you’re an older adult or you have a chronic health condition, group B strep bacteria may cause complications such as:
To prevent group B bacteria from spreading to your baby during labor, your doctor can give you an IV antibiotic — usually penicillin or a related drug — when labor begins. If you’re allergic to penicillin and related drugs, you may receive clindamycin or a similar alternative. Taking oral antibiotics ahead of time won’t help because the bacterium can return before labor begins.
Antibiotic treatment during labor is also recommended if you:
Antibiotic therapy isn’t usually needed if you have a C-section delivery unless your water breaks or labor has already begun before surgery.
If you test positive for group B strep, remind your health care team during labor. Your reminders will help your health care team provide the best possible care during labor and delivery.
Group B strep typically doesn’t affect the length of time you and your baby spend in the hospital, and it doesn’t affect your ability to breast-feed safely.
Although it’s not available yet, researchers are working on a group B strep vaccine that could, in the future, help prevent group B strep infections among adults.
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Group B strep disease
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