GBS colonization
Group B strep (GBS) is one of the normally occurring bacteria in the human body, found in the lower intestines and vaginal area of perfectly healthy individuals. People who carry GBS cannot pass on colonization, but pregnant women can become infected by their own colony or pass on the infection to their babies during childbirth.
At-risk populations
Pregnant women, newborns, the elderly and people with compromised immune systems are at risk for developing GBS infection, although the first two categories make up the greatest number of infections. GBS in the bodies of healthy adults causes no symptoms.
Adult infection through the bloodstream
Expectant mothers or other adults become sick with GBS when the GBS bacteria are able to penetrate the bloodstream. According to the Centers for Disease Control, GBS infection in adults can lead to UTIs, blood infections, pneumonia, and even meningitis, among other effects . Because the majority of adults who become infected with GBS (who are not pregnant women) are elderly and because of the severity of the symptoms, mortality is relatively high, up to 10 per cent.
Infection in newborns
Newborns can come into contact with the GBS bacteria of their mother's colonized area during the labor process. While not serious in healthy adults, GBS infection can have devastating effects on babies, and, according to the CDC, is the leading cause of both sepsis and meningitis in this group, with pneumonia another serious complication. Some infections in newborns start just a few hours after birth, while symptoms can in some cases take up to several months to develop.
Prevention
Expectant mothers can be tested for GBS colonization before labor, and those who test positive should be given antibiotics during the birthing process, which very effectively cuts the risk for transmission of GBS bacteria. The CDC reports that research is underway that will, it is hoped, someday provide a vaccine against the group B strep bacterium.
Tags: adults become, become infected, Expectant mothers, healthy adults, pregnant women