Strep infections can be caused by various types of strep bacteria, with group A strep (GAS) and group B strep (GBS) being the most common. GAS can affect different parts of the body, while GBS is particularly dangerous for newborns. Obstetricians may treat laboring moms with antibiotics to prevent GBS transmission. Some strep infections are becoming resistant to antibiotics.
It’s difficult to discuss strep infection without first clarifying that there are many types of strep bacteria. Those that most commonly cause illness in children (not infants) and adults include what is known as group A strep (GAS) or strep pyogenes. Another type of strep infection that is often more dangerous for newborns is group B strep (GBS) or S. agalactiae. Some other forms of strep infections can be caused by other groups of strep bacteria and can be more commonly found in animals, but do not typically affect humans.
It is therefore important to understand that strep infection can mean much more than a bout of the common sore throat or its complication, scarlet fever. Instead, GAS can cause many different types of infections and affect many different parts of the body. It would be fair to say that some of the following areas may be affected by GAS strep infection:
Lungs
Skin
tonsils
art
Ears
blood flow Blood
Reproductive system, vagina or anus
Cardiac system
Mouth
Group B strep infection is most commonly associated with infection in infants, particularly in causing certain types of pneumonia. It can also cause pneumonia in people who are elderly or have suppressed immune systems. The method of transmission for infants tends to occur if a mother harbors this bacteria in her vagina or anus and may not have any outward signs of having this form of strep.
Many obstetricians now routinely look for group B strep and may treat a laboring mom with intravenous antibiotics to prevent this strep infection in newborns. Although babies who develop group B strep can recover with treatment, there is still an alarming 3% death rate associated with this infection and it is very dangerous for babies born prematurely. A mom who works quickly and doesn’t have time for at least four hours of intravenous antibiotics before giving birth may be able to prevent this infection with a C-section.
There are a number of species of strep that can cause infections. What is complicated about some of these is that they have been reclassified into other groups of bacteria as strep has become more closely studied and understood. For most people, except infants, the greatest danger comes from GAS-type streptococcal infection. The most severe forms of these infections invade the bloodstream and become systemic. They will require extensive treatment with intravenous antibiotics and some forms are increasingly resistant to antibiotics. The average, and certainly one of the most common strep infections, could simply be the classic sore throat, which is usually easily treated with a course of antibiotics.
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