Group B strep
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Group B strep
Group B streptococcus, known as group B strep, is one of many kinds of streptococcus bacteria that infect humans. Although group B strep can live in a healthy person's body without causing illness, it can be life-threatening.
People at-risk for severe group B strep infection include newborns who catch it from their mothers during childbirth and people with weakened immune systems (as from chronic illness or cancer treatment).
Group B strep is treated with antibiotics. All pregnant women are tested for group B strep during pregnancy. To prevent newborn infection, any women with Group B strep infection is treated in the last weeks of pregnancy or during labor.
Credits
| Author | Jeannette Curtis |
| Author | Caroline Rea, RN, BS, MS |
| Editor | Kathleen M. Ariss, MS |
| Editor | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA |
| Associate Editor | Tracy Landauer |
| Associate Editor | Pat Truman, MATC |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Patrice Burgess, MD - Family Medicine |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine |
| Last Updated | May 25, 2007 |
| Last updated: | May 25, 2007 |
|---|---|
| Author: | Caroline Rea, RN, BS, MS |
| Reviewed By: | Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine |
| Editors: | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Pat Truman, MATC |
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