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Are you pregnant? Have you been tested for Strep B? If not go and get a test. Group B Streptococcus is a type of bacterium also known as GBS, Group B strep, or Streptococcus agalactiae. It is the commonest cause of serious infection and meningitis in babies under 3 months old, and can also cause stillbirths. It is rare in babies and children over 3 months old, and in adults.
1 in 10 babies infected with Strep B will die. Half of the babies who develop Strep B meningitis will be left with some level of long-term disability such as cerebral palsy, deafness, blindness or learning difficulties. Overall, 1 in 17,000 babies in the UK die from GBS infection each year.
Like many bacteria, Strep B is often present in people's bodies without showing any symptoms. Up to 3 in every 10 adults carry the bacteria harmlessly in their digestive system as part of the normal gut 'flora'. About 2 out of every 3 cases of Strep B are early onset. Most babies who become infected develop symptoms within 12-24 hours of birth.
These symptoms include:
Symptoms are similar for late-onset Strep B infection.
If a woman is known to be carrying Strep B she can be given antibiotics through a drip when she is in labour to reduce the risk of passing it onto her baby. Antibiotics are not given before labour starts because Strep B tends to come back after the course is finished, so there would be a risk of passing an infection on to the baby.
If you are pregnant and want to find out more about Strep B please visit the NHS website, it's a good idea to familiarise yourself with the virus before you have your baby.
