Group B strep is also known as Streptococcus agalactiae. It is not the same as the type of bacteria that causes strep throat. Streptococcus bacteria are usually identified by their shape when viewed under a microscope, where they form small, round balls that are clustered in lines. Group B strep can be distinguished from other kinds of strep by placing it on a special growth medium, called blood agar, and observing its growth pattern.
Normal Colonization
Somewhere between 10 percent and 35 percent of all healthy adult women have group B strep bacteria living somewhere in their body. It can be found in the intestines, the vagina and the anus. Most women who have group B strep colonies on or in their body exhibit no symptoms.
Infections in Pregnant Women
In pregnant women, group B strep infections generally manifest as an infection of the urinary tract. This means that the afflicted female may feel pain or burning upon urination, with the possibility of the infection spreading to the kidney and causing more severe pain. Pregnant women with strep B may also experience infection of the uterus and placenta, which, in addition to being painful, can result in a stillbirth.
Infections in Newborns
One major risk that pregnant mothers with group B strep have is that they may pass along the disease to their newborns. In general, these infections occur during the first week of the child's life, and usually occur within the first 24 hours. The symptoms of group B strep infection in an infant range from fever and difficulty breathing to more serious symptoms such as seizures, limpness/stiffness and an abnormal heart rate or blood pressure.
Factors That Increase Risk for Newborns
There are certain factors that increase the chance that a newborn will contract a group B strep infection. If the mother has a positive culture for group B strep at the 35- to 37-week mark, or has a fever or a urinary tract infection at the time of birth, it can raise the risk that the child will become infected with group B strep. Other risk factors include labor or rupture of the membrane before 37 weeks, or rupture of the membrane more than 18 hours before delivery of the baby.
Infections in Other Individuals
In some cases, group B strep can cause infections in individuals that have cancer, diabetes or have a suppressed immune system. Mild symptoms include infections of the urinary tract and a fever. More dangerous symptoms include cellulitis, which is a condition in which the soft tissue under the skin becomes infected, causing the affected area to be red, swollen and painful. Sepsis is also possible, in which the bacteria enter the bloodstream, which can cause a high fever and a sudden drop in blood pressure and unconsciousness.
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