July is recognized as International Group B Strep Awareness month.
Group B strep is a common bacterial infection in adults who often experience no signs or symptoms. However, infected pregnant women can potentially pass this infection to their newborns during childbirth or within the first few months of life, sometimes with life-threatening consequences. Group B should not be confused with the more common group A strep that affects the throats of most of us at some stage during our lifetime.
Adults with this bacterial infection often are unaware of it. Pregnant women are most likely to know they are infected because of a screening test given during the third trimester. This testing was put in place in the mid 1990s and since, newborn infection rates have dropped from 1.7 out of every 1000 births to 0.28 out of every 1000 births.
There are three forms of group B strep. Early-onset group B strep disease typically affects newborns within 12 hours after birth and is the more common and serious form. Symptoms can include fever, lethargy, and difficulty feeding.
Late-onset group B strep disease develops within a week to a few months after birth; symptoms can include seizures, fever, lethargy, coughing, congestion, and difficulty feeding.
Adult infection is typically harmless. For those affected, the bacteria are typically found in the bowel, vagina, rectum, bladder and/or throat. In some instances, pneumonia, blood infections and urinary tract infections may be associated.
Pregnant women are more likely to give birth to a child who develops group B if they are carriers, the baby is born prematurely (before 37 weeks), they are carrying multiples (two or more babies), have a fever of 100 degrees or higher during delivery, having a prior delivery of a child with group B strep disease, have an infection of the placenta and amniotic fluid, their waters break 18 or more hours before delivery, the baby has a sustained rapid heartbeat during labor, or group B strep has been detected in the urine during the current or previous pregnancies.
Adults are more likely to contact group B strep if they have a medical condition such as diabetes, liver disease, cancer, or HIV and with age (older than 65), especially those living in a nursing home.
Complications can be mild to life-threatening. For infants, these include pneumonia, meningitis, and bloodstream infection. Pregnant women may experience urinary tract infections, sepsis, endometriosis, and placental and amonitic fluid infection. In non-pregnant older adults or those with chronic health conditions, cellulitis (skin infection), sepsis, bone and joint infections, endocarditis (heart valve infection), meningitis, urinary tract infection, and pneumonia may occur.
Treatment for affected infants involves intravenous (IV) antibiotics. Oxygen and other medications may be necessary, depending on the severity of the infection and the overall condition of the baby. Adults are treated with oral antibiotics, depending on the location and extent of the infection.
Women with group B strep may be given IV antibiotics during labor to further reduce the risk of transmitting the bacteria to their newborn.
