In short, yes, it is. Although strep throat is relatively harmless when it is treated in a timely manner, it can cause some serious complications when it’s left untreated. Our AFC Urgent Care Indian Trail team further explains below, so keep reading! Strep throat is a relatively common infection, as between 11,000 and 13,000 cases happen each year. Strep
throat is a bacterial infection caused by a bacteria called Group A Streptococcus. You can get strep by inhaling airborne droplets or coming in contact with the bacteria on surfaces or shared personal items. We’ve listed the most common strep throat symptoms below. When left untreated, strep throat can cause potentially life-altering complications, such as kidney inflammation or rheumatic fever. Rheumatic fever can lead to painful and inflamed joints, a specific type of rash or heart valve damage. If you experience strep throat symptoms, it’s important to
get a strep throat test ASAP to confirm your diagnosis. Our AFC center offers molecular, rapid strep tests that provide accurate results in 15 minutes or less. Need a strep test? Don’t hesitate to stop by our AFC center today! Download a PDF version formatted for print: What is Group B Streptococcus (GBS)? GBS is a bacteria that is found in the bowel, genital tract, urinary tract, throat, or respiratory tract of some adults. Many people carry GBS in their bodies but do not become ill.
Who is at highest risk for GBS disease? Most GBS disease occurs in adults with serious medical conditions. These conditions include persons with diabetes, liver disease, and cancer. Others at risk include people with recent trauma and those having certain types of invasive surgical procedures. How is GBS diagnosed? GBS is diagnosed when the bacteria are grown from cultures of the blood, cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) or other normally sterile body site. Cultures take a few days to grow. How is GBS treated? GBS infections are usually treated with penicillin. Sometimes other types of antibiotics are used. Soft tissue and bone infections may require surgery to treat. Treatment often depends on where the bacteria in found in the body. Is there a vaccine for GBS in adults? Researchers are currently working on developing a vaccine against GBS. If you have questions about GBS, please talk with your health
care provider. Group B Streptococcus (GBS or group B Strep) is a normal bacterium which is carried by 20-40% of UK adults, most commonly in the gut and in women in the vagina. Carrying group B Strep is usually without symptoms or side-effects. Carrying GBS is perfectly normal and natural whether you are pregnant or not. Carrying GBS does not need treatment. GBS is not a sexually transmitted disease. Carrying GBS is not a disease at all. A positive rectal or vaginal swab result for GBS means the person is carrying GBS at the time the samples were taken – not that they are ill. Vaginal symptomsWe know of no publication that convincingly demonstrates that carrying GBS causes vaginal symptoms. Carrying GBS is not associated with any symptoms. To find out whether you are carrying GBS, you need to test and the sensitive ECM test is the ‘gold standard’ test for detecting GBS carriage. Even when GBS is grown from a sample taken from the vagina, this means that the vagina was colonised with GBS when the swab was taken – it does not mean that GBS is the cause of any symptoms that prompted the test being done. Group B Strep in the urineGBS detected in the urine usually means a GBS urinary tract infection is present – this should be treated at diagnosis with oral antibiotics and the treatment repeated until urine tests come back clear. Group B Strep infection in adultsGBS can occasionally cause other infection in adults. When GBS infection occurs in adults, it’s usually (but not always) in those with serious underlying medical conditions which reduce the effectiveness of the immune system and so make them more susceptible to all kinds of infection, including GBS; in the elderly; and in pregnant women. Although uncommon, GBS infection in adults displays a whole spectrum of severity, from easily treated to very serious, particularly in non-pregnant adults. GBS infections in adults are usually skin and soft tissue infections (such as infection of skin ulcers caused by poor circulation and diabetes, or pressure sores in patients confined to bed), blood infections, pneumonia and urinary tract infections (such as kidney, bladder or prostate infections). GBS may also cause meningitis in adults, as well as bone infections (typically septic arthritis or osteomyelitis) and deep eye infections. The overall rate of GBS bacteraemia (GBS detected from the blood) for 2018 was 4.2 per 100,000 population for England, Wales and Northern Ireland combined, with 11% more cases reported compared to 2015. Rates were highest in those aged less than one year (84.6 per 100,000 population). In adults, rates of GBS bacteraemia were highest in those aged 75 and over (13.0 per 100,000 in females and 16.3 per 100,000 in males). Treating GBS infection in adultsEarly recognition and treatment is important to cure GBS infection in adults. High doses of antibiotics such as penicillin should be administered and the full course taken. Most GBS infection can be treated successfully, although some people will require all the expertise of intensive care facilities. Not all hospitals have such a facility and so some ill patients will have to be transferred to one with these specialised facilities. GBS infections, especially the more deep-seated ones, require expert care, prolonged courses of antibiotics and sometimes more than one antibiotic at the same time. In some cases, surgery may be necessary to drain infected sites and remove damaged tissue. Due to the varied nature of these infections, it is impossible to generalise about what is the most appropriate treatment. If you have any questions about Group B Strep, please call our helpline Mon-Thu 9am-3pm, Fri 9am-12pm 0330 120 0796 Or email us at Can strep B have long term effects?Most babies will make a full recovery from their group B Strep infection. Sadly, approximately one in every 16 babies who develop group B Strep infection during their first 3 months die, and around one in every 10 of the survivors have a long-term disability.
Can strep B go away without antibiotics?Strep throat typically goes away within three to seven days with or without antibiotic treatment. If strep throat is not treated with antibiotics, you may be contagious for two to three weeks and at a higher risk for complications such as rheumatic fever.
Should I be worried about strep B?It may never make you sick. GBS in adults usually doesn't have any symptoms, but it can cause some minor infections, like a bladder or urinary tract infection (UTI). While GBS may not be harmful to you, it can be very harmful to your baby. If you're pregnant, you can pass it to your baby during labor and childbirth.
Do you have strep B for life?People who carry GBS often have no symptoms. GBS can come and go. Testing positive for GBS does not mean you will have it forever.
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What happens if strep b goes untreated
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