Beta hemolytic streptococcus group B
Beta hemolytic streptococcus group B
Definition[edit | edit source]
A type of bacterium often found in the vagina. It can cause systemic infections in people with suppressed immune systems, or the new born.
Pronunciation[edit | edit source]
BAY-tuh HEE-moh-LIH-tik STREP-toh-KAH-kus ...
Clinical features[edit | edit source]
- Group B Streptococcus[1] (group B strep, GBS) are bacteria that come and go naturally in the body.
- Most of the time the bacteria are not harmful, but they can cause serious illness in people of all ages.
- In fact, group B strep disease is a common cause of severe infection in newborns.
Neonatal GBS[edit | edit source]
In neonates two syndromes exist for group B strep (GBS) disease:
- Early-onset (<7 days old)
- Late-onset (7-90 days old)
Clinical presentation[edit | edit source]
Both can manifest as bacteremia, sepsis, pneumonia, and meningitis. In adults, severe infections can manifest as bacteremia (including sepsis) and soft tissue infections.
Pregnancy-related infections include:
- Bloodstream infections (including sepsis)
- Amnionitis
- Urinary tract infection
- Stillbirth
Etiologic Agent[edit | edit source]
Streptococcus agalactiae or group B Streptococcus (group B strep, GBS) cause GBS disease.
Incidence[edit | edit source]
- Approximately 30,800 cases of invasive GBS disease occur annually in the United States in all age groups[2].
- In newborns, approximately 7,600 cases occurred before widespread adoption of prevention guidelines.
- The rate of early-onset infection decreased from 1.7 cases per 1,000 live births (1993) to 0.22 cases per 1,000 live births (2016).
- Racial disparities in disease persist with the incidence higher among African Americans for all age groups. Learn more about GBS trends.
Signs and symptoms[edit | edit source]
Symptoms of bacteremia (blood stream infection) and sepsis (the body’s extreme response to an infection) include:
- Fever
- Chills
- Low alertness
Symptoms of pneumonia (lung infection) include:
- Fever
- Chills
- Cough
- Rapid breathing or difficulty breathing
- Chest pain
Skin and soft-tissue infections often appear as a bump or infected area on the skin that may be:
- Red
- Swollen or painful
- Warm to the touch
- Full of pus or other drainage
- People with skin infections may also have a fever.
Bone and joint infections often appear as pain in the infected area and might also include:
- Fever
- Chills
- Swelling
- Stiffness or inability to use the affected limb or joint
Diagnosis[edit | edit source]
GBS is diagnosed when the bacteria are grown from cultures of the blood, cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) or other normally sterile body site. Cultures take a few days to grow.
Lab tests[edit | edit source]
The lab tests include culture, and sensitivity tests. The most accurate way to identify group B Streptococcus (GBS) is to demonstrate that the bacteria in question has the Lancefield group B antigen on the surface of the bacteria. The Lancefield antigens are called group A, B, C, D, etc. Each of the antigens is associated with a certain kind of bacteria. In the case of GBS, the antigen we are looking for is called group B.
Treatment[edit | edit source]
GBS infections are usually treated with penicillin. Sometimes other types of antibiotics are used. Soft tissue and bone infections may require surgery to treat. Treatment often depends on where the bacteria in found in the body.
Complications[edit | edit source]
Neurologic sequelae include sight or hearing loss and cerebral palsy. Death occurs in about 5% of infants and adults.
ICD[edit | edit source]
Beta hemolytic streptococcus group B Resources | ||
---|---|---|
|
|
Translate to: East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Schuchat A. Group B streptococcus. Lancet. 1999 Jan 2;353(9146):51-6. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(98)07128-1. PMID: 10023965.
- ↑ https://www.cdc.gov/groupbstrep/clinicians/index.html
Navigation: Wellness - Encyclopedia - Health topics - Disease Index - Drugs - World Directory - Gray's Anatomy - Keto diet - Recipes
Search WikiMD
Ad.Tired of being Overweight? Try W8MD's physician weight loss program.
Semaglutide (Ozempic / Wegovy and Tirzepatide (Mounjaro) available.
Advertise on WikiMD
WikiMD is not a substitute for professional medical advice. See full disclaimer.
Credits:Most images are courtesy of Wikimedia commons, and templates Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY SA or similar.
Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD