Press Release, June 20 –
By Eumena Divino, MD –
Group B streptococcus (strep) is a common bacterium often carried in the intestines or lower genital tract. Group B strep is usually harmless in adults.
Most babies born to women carrying group B strep are healthy. Some newborns, however, who are infected by group B strep during labor can become critically ill. In the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, group B strep is the leading cause of meningitis, an infection of the fluid and lining around the brain, and sepsis, an infection of the blood, in a newborn’s first week of life.
Group B strep can also cause dangerous infections in adults with chronic medical conditions such as diabetes, HIV infection, cancer 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, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends a group B strep screening between weeks 35 and 37 of pregnancy. About 25 percent of pregnant women carry group B strep. If you have group B strep, antibiotic treatment during labor can protect your baby.
In infants, illness caused by group B strep can take two forms: early onset or late onset. A baby with early-onset group B strep disease becomes sick within one week after birth. Signs and symptoms may include fever, difficulty breathing and lethargy. On average, about 1,200 babies in the U.S. less than one week old get early-onset group B strep disease each year.
Late-onset group B strep disease develops within a week to a few months after birth, usually within the first month. Your baby may experience difficulty breathing, fever, difficulty feeding, lethargy and irritability.
If you notice that your infant has any of the signs or symptoms of group B strep disease, contact your baby’s doctor immediately.
If you experience any signs or symptoms of group B strep infection, particularly if you’re pregnant, have a chronic medical condition or are older than 65, contact your doctor right away.
