18 Invasive Group B Streptococcus
18.1 Epidemiologic Review
18.1.1 Disease Information
Overview: Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is a bacterial disease caused by the bacterium Streptococcus agalactiae. GBS is a major cause of bacterial infections in both pregnant people and infants.
Symptoms: Symptoms can vary but common types of invasive disease include bacteremia (infection in the blood), cellulitis, pneumonia, and meningitis. Common symptoms among infants include respiratory stress and shock. Pregnant people can experience womb infections and stillbirth.
Transmission: Transmission occurs person-to-person. This includes when a healthy person comes into contact with bodily fluids (blood, respiratory droplets, etc.) of an infected person or through transmission from mother to infant that occurs during delivery.
Treatment: Treatment with antibiotics is recommended as soon as possible.
Prevention Prevention methods include prenatal screenings for all pregnant people. Colonized pregnant people should be treated with antibiotics to prevent transmission during delivery. Additionally, practicing good hygiene habits like hand washing often can help avoid spreading infections. It is also important that people using needles to inject themselves are always using new, clean needles and not reusing or sharing needles.
18.1.2 Demographics
Rates for 1-4, 5-17, and 18-29 years of age are not displayed due to low case counts.
| Race | Rate per 100k |
|---|---|
| American Indian or Alaska Native, Non Hispanic | <5 cases |
| Asian, Non Hispanic | <5 cases |
| Hispanic or Latino | 4.3 |
| Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, Non Hispanic | 30.2 |
| Other Race, Non Hispanic | <5 cases |
| Two or More Races, Non Hispanic | <5 cases |
| Unknown Race and Ethnicity | <5 cases |
| White, Non Hispanic | 9 |
| Black or African American, Non Hispanic | <5 cases |
Rates for American Indian or Alaska Native, Non Hispanic, Asian, Non Hispanic, Black or African American, Non Hispanic, Other Race, Non Hispanic, Two or More Races, Non Hispanic, and Unknown Race and Ethnicity are not displayed due to low case counts.
18.1.4 Monthly and Historical Comparisons
Data for Utah and the CDC were retrieved from the CDC’s Notifiable Infectious Disease Data Tables. National and state data was not available from the CDC for this disease in the time range at time of report.