Chapter 28 - Molecular Detection of Group B Streptococcus

Abstract

This chapter discusses the molecular detection of group B streptococcus (GBS). Infection with Streptococcus agalactiae or group B Streptococcus (GBS) was identified in the 1970s as a leading cause of sepsis in neonates and presents a serious health threat for an otherwise healthy infant. GBS infection can present with clinical variability, ranging from mildly asymptomatic to severe. Commonly observed early- and late-onset disease presentations include sepsis, pneumonia, and meningitis; however, the clinical implications of perinatal GBS disease extend beyond neonatal illness and death and include long-term health issues such as developmental delays, sight or hearing loss, learning disabilities, and cerebral palsy. Infections in adults are associated with sepsis and soft tissue infections, and manifestations of infection during pregnancy can include sepsis, amnionitis, urinary tract infection, and stillbirth. Adults who are particularly susceptible to infection include those with chronic illnesses such as liver failure and diabetes mellitus. Also at substantially increased risk are infants born to women colonized with GBS, or to mothers who experience prolonged rupture of membranes or deliver prematurely. Other risk factors for early-onset GBS include a previous infant with GBS disease, demographic risk factors such as African-American ethnicity and young age, and a low antibody titer to GBS capsular polysaccharide.