Group B Streptococcus bacteria is a leading cause of infection and death within the first week of life. Each year about 40 infants less than 1-week old get early-onset group B strep disease in Arizona. The bacteria can cause life-threatening infections like sepsis (infection of the blood), pneumonia (infection in the lungs), and meningitis (infection of the fluid and lining around the brain).
A couple of months ago the CDC developed an app to provide clinicians with on-the-spot recommendations to reduce the number of bad outcomes from Group B Strep. The app asks a series of simple questions. Based on the responses, health care providers get patient-specific prevention recommendations within seconds.
The app was developed to be consistent with the 2010 Guidelines for the Prevention of Perinatal GBS Disease. Folks can Download “Prevent Group B Strep” free from the CDC iTunes App Store or Google Play.
Thanks for the information.Does this bacteria spreads?
Group B streptococcus is commonly found in the body (GI, reproductive, and urinary tract). About 25% of pregnant women are carriers – this means the bacteria lives in their vagina or rectum without causing infection. The bacteria can spread to a newborn during delivery. Other than that, it doesn’t usually spread.
There are some cases where the infection is seen in adults, but it’s pretty rare. CDC states that the source of infection is unknown, but because GBS is a common organism in the GI tract, this could cause infection in rare cases.