Group B streptococcal infection history and symptoms

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Rim Halaby, M.D. [2]

Symptoms of Group B Streptococcus (GBS) infection in neonates include apnea, bluish color to skin, cold skin, difficulty breathing, difficulty feeding, and irritability.^[1] GBS infection in pregnancy is most commonly asymptomatic. If the adult patient is symptomatic, the constellation of symptoms depends on the type of infection GBS is causing.

The symptoms of GBS disease can seem like other health problems in newborns and infants. Most newborns with early-onset disease have symptoms on the day of birth. Babies who develop late-onset disease may appear healthy at birth and develop symptoms of GBS disease after the first week of life. The most common clinical syndromes of early-onset disease are sepsis and pneumonia; less frequently, early-onset infections can lead to meningitis. Symptoms of GBS infection include:^[1]

• Apnea
• Bluish color to skin
• Cold skin
• Difficulty breathing
• Difficulty feeding
• Irritability, or lethargy (limpness or hard to wake up the baby)
• Unstable (low or high) body temperature

GBS infection in pregnancy is most commonly asymptomatic. If the patient is symptomatic, the constellation of symptoms depends on the type of infection GBS is causing:

• Urinary tract infection
  • Urinary frequency
  • Urinary urgency
  • Dysuria
  • Fever (in case of pyelonephritis)
• Chorioamnionitis
  • Fever (which might be low-grade)
  • Uterine tenderness
  • Foul-smelling or purulent amniotic fluid
• Endometritis
  • Swelling of the abdomen
  • Abnormal vaginal bleeding or discharge
  • Discomfort with bowel movement (including constipation)
  • Fever
  • General discomfort, uneasiness, or ill feeling
  • Pain in lower abdomen or pelvic region (uterine pain)
• Premature rupture of membrane

The symptoms of GBS infection depend on the type of infection the bacterium is causing:

• Pneumonia
  • Fever
  • Dyspnea
  • Chest pain
• Skin and soft tissue infection
  • Swelling, warmth, erythema, and tenderness in the location of the infection
• Osteomyelitis
  • Tenderness in the area of the infected bone
  • Fever
• Septic arthritis
  • Joint pain
  • Fever
• Urosepsis
  • Fever
  • Urinary frequency
  • Urinary urgency
  • Dysuria
  • Urinary discharge
• Peritonitis
  • Fever
  • Severe abdominal pain
• Meningitis
  • Fever
  • Headache
  • Disorientation
  • Projectile vomiting
• Endocarditis
  • Fever
  • Fatigue
  • Symptoms of heart failure
• IV catheter infection
  • Swelling, warmth, erythema, and tenderness in the location of the infection

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