Search results
Mar 19, 2024 · The microbiology and pathogenesis of GBS infection and the epidemiology, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and treatment of GBS infections in nonpregnant adults will be reviewed here. Prevention strategies through chemoprophylaxis and vaccination are discussed separately.
Sep 21, 2021 · Treatment. Infants. If your baby tests positive for group B strep, he or she will be given intravenous (IV) antibiotics. Depending on your baby's condition, he or she might need intravenous (IV) fluids, oxygen or other medications. Adults. Antibiotics are effective treatment for group B strep infection in adults.
May 6, 2016 · Because of possible resistance to clindamycin, vancomycin remains the initial treatment of choice for GBS infection in patients who are allergic to penicillin. Penicillin, ampicillin, and...
- On this page
- Symptoms
- When to see a doctor
- From Mayo Clinic to your inbox
- Causes
- Risk factors
- Complications
- Prevention
- Products & Services
•Overview
•Symptoms
•When to see a doctor
•Causes
•Risk factors
•Complications
Infants
Most babies born to women carrying group B strep are healthy. But the few who are infected by group B strep during labor can become critically ill. In infants, illness caused by group B strep can be within six hours of birth (early onset) — or weeks or months after birth (late onset). Signs and symptoms might include:
Adults
Many adults carry group B strep in their bodies — usually in the bowel, vagina, rectum, bladder or throat — and have no signs or symptoms. In some cases, however, group B strep can cause a urinary tract infection or other more-serious infections. Signs and symptoms of infections that may be caused by group B strep include the following. Urinary tract infection Blood infection (bacteremia) Pneumonia Skin or soft-tissue infection Bone or joint infection
If you have signs or symptoms of group B strep infection — particularly if you're pregnant, you have a chronic medical condition or you're older than 65 — contact your doctor right away.
If you notice your infant has signs or symptoms of group B strep disease, contact your baby's doctor immediately.
Sign up for free and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips, current health topics, and expertise on managing health. Click here for an email preview.
To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, and understand which information is beneficial, we may combine your email and website usage information with other information we have about you. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, this could include protected health information. If we combine this information with your protected health information, we will treat all of that information as protected health information and will only use or disclose that information as set forth in our notice of privacy practices. You may opt-out of email communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the e-mail.
Many healthy people carry group B strep bacteria in their bodies. You might carry the bacteria in your body for a short time — it can come and go — or you might always have it. Group B strep bacteria aren't sexually transmitted, and they're not spread through food or water. How the bacteria are spread to anyone other than newborns isn't known.
Group B strep can spread to a baby during a vaginal delivery if the baby is exposed to — or swallows — fluids containing group B strep.
Infants
An infant is at increased risk of developing group B strep disease if:
Adults
Adults age 65 and older are at increased risk of group B strep. You're also at increased risk of if you have a condition that impairs your immune system or other serious diseases, including the following:
Group B strep infection can lead to life-threatening disease in infants, including:
•Pneumonia
•Inflammation of the membranes and fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord (meningitis)
•Infection in the bloodstream (bacteremia)
If you're pregnant, group B strep can cause the following:
•Urinary tract infection
If you're pregnant, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends a group B strep screening during weeks 36 to 37 of pregnancy. Your doctor will take swab samples from your vagina and rectum and send them to a lab for testing.
A positive test indicates that you carry group B strep. It doesn't mean that you're ill or that your baby will be affected, but that you're at increased risk of passing the bacteria to your baby.
To prevent group B bacteria from spreading to your baby during labor or delivery, your doctor can give you an IV antibiotic — usually penicillin or a related drug — when labor begins.
If you're allergic to penicillin or related drugs, you might receive clindamycin or vancomycin as an alternative. Because the effectiveness of these alternatives is not well understood, your baby will be monitored for up to 48 hours.
Taking oral antibiotics ahead of time won't help because the bacteria can return before labor begins.
Antibiotic treatment during labor is also recommended if you:
•A Book: Mayo Clinic Family Health Book, 5th Edition
•Newsletter: Mayo Clinic Health Letter — Digital Edition
Aug 5, 2022 · Print. Table of Contents. Causes. Signs and Symptoms. Risk Factors. Complications. Prevention. Group B Streptococcus (group B strep or GBS) is a bacterium that occurs naturally in the gastrointestinal and genital tracts (vagina, uterus, and fallopian tubes).
Jan 16, 2023 · This activity reviews the healthcare team's role in the background, presentation, prevention, evaluation, and treatment of Group B Streptococcus infections. Objectives: Identify the etiology of group B Streptococcus (GBS) infections.
Apr 27, 2022 · What happens if you test positive for group B strep during pregnancy? Healthcare providers prevent GBS infection in your baby by treating you with intravenous (IV) antibiotics during labor and delivery. The most common antibiotic to treat group B strep is penicillin or ampicillin.
