What causes strep b infection in adults?

Strep B infections are not just the problem of neonates and expecting mothers. They can also target adults at any age, gender or ethnicity. Not happy with your ‘Adulting’ problems already? Well, life has more problems saved for you than you might ever fathom. To make matters worse, not many people know what causes strep b infection in adults.

So let’s unwrap this mystery together and look for some fun-facts to brighten up our day.

What is Strep?

What comes to your mind when someone says S-t-r-e-p? Sore throat, isn’t it? But do you know that our friend Streptococcus bacteria loves playing opposites! It can cause sore throats as well as fatal diseases like necrotizing fasciitis (flesh-eating disease). Now imagine a game-show host throwing this googly at the contestants “Name an organism that is both kind and utterly deadly?” Tough one!

Basically, Strep is short for Streptococcus bacteria which are found frequently in humans from birth till death. You’ve got these tiny critters inside every nook and cranny of your body – mouth, nose, skin folds…trust me its gross out there! Thankfully most likely they don’t cause much harm where we want them since there’s always good old immune system keeping things under control by producing antibodies against these germs (‘antibodies’ – kinda undersells how prodigious they are).

Types of Strep

Now here is another layer on top – understand that all Streps aren’t created equal (very profound)! Broadly speaking there are two types: Group A strep (GAS) and Group B strep (GBS). GAS mostly hangs out around upper respiratory tract but sometimes ventures southward towards cheeks causing devastating consequences while GBS (our topic of interest) is vaginally inclined.

These bacteria can live silently in the intestines or genital tracts without causing any symptoms… but under favorable conditions, they might overpower your body’s immune system and embark on a treacherous journey.

What is Strep B Infection?

Were you thinking it’s only found in newborns? Well, think again! Our friend GBS could infect anyone who has breached its boundaries- mother-to-infant transmission being one of them(children catch it by crossing their legs – don’t ask me how!).Women have a higher chance of acquiring this infection since they possess everything that GBS need to thrive – nature entwining itself together beautifully like hand-in-glove(literally!) fashion. Men are also at risk when there is sexual contact involving vaginal fluids from someone carrying GBS or dealing with dirty wounds(like I said earlier – gross out there!).

Remember If we compare this with GAS invasion then possible road-map looks different:

GAS pathogenesis: Skin (Breaks) → Bloodstream → Deep tissue

GBS pathogenesis: Vaginal/Rectal tract → bloodstream

If your body doesn’t develop resistance against these invaders, they will progress into bacterial meningitis, sepsis, endocarditis or pneumonia quicker than you can say “Why me?”

How does One Get Infected With Strep B?

For analogy fans out there here’s one for ya Strep infections are like getting attacked by dragons. You never know where the dragon might pop up and attack next until after he lit the roof of your house on fire(bloodstreams). So best be prepared to slay him as soon as he appears.

Here are some ways via which GBS gets an entry in adults’ bodies:
Mother-to-child-transmission during birth
Sexual activity
Poor hygiene(Oh No!)

And here’s one way how it survives:
Creating a biofilm aka ‘fortress’ made of bacteria cells around itself. Fighting against antibiotic-warfare is tough, but with the exoskeleton in place, it becomes nearly impossible to eliminate GBS.

Who is at Higher Risk?

Traditional Chinese Medicine says that the water element governs our emotions- be wise and don’t let your emotions govern you when dealing with strep!

Now just because someone contracts this infection doesn’t mean they did something wrong or are more susceptible than others; however, here are some factors that might elevate their risk:

Gender: Let’s not be biased – women due to anatomic reasons have higher rates of vaginal colonization.
Age: As people age (over 65), their immunity starts waning which increases susceptibility.
Other Health Conditions: Diabetes/ Obesity/Poor Nutrition/Cancer/HIV can all make individuals immunocompromised.
Pregnancy/Mothers-to-be : They get an added bonus burden by getting tested for Group B Strep Multiple times(lucky peeps!).

Signs and Symptoms

Most often adults carrying GBS won’t show any symptoms! So how do we find out this sneaky little fella? Well…, You either get tested voluntarily like a noble citizen OR lickety-split look at these hard-won troubles as clues:

Feverish Feeling /Chills
Muscle pain / Aches
Increased urination frequency
Lower abdominal rockiness

If you continue feeling symptoms longer than usual or see red alert signs such as breathing difficulty then don’t play superhero and rush towards medical facilities!

Another small issue. If an individual gets symptomatic Streptococcus pyogenes(GAS), sometimes they also test positive for GBS too(herding begets herding!). It means treatment has to account for both infections simultaneously.

Diagnosis

Stomach bugs come so fast that you might not even have time to realize how bad they tasted in the beginning;same with strep that storms in as silently as a ninja.

Swab tests are prerequisites for GBS diagnosis frequently focused on our nether region skin(lively place!). The swabs can be taken from cervix or penis and need lab culture growth for a positive/negative result.

If the test is positive, then early detection is where half the battle lies – so don’t postpone following-up! Otherwise, say hello to bedrest and loads of antibiotics.

Treatments

As some wise person once said: “Prevention is better than cure!” So please make sure you bring your body’s A-game by:

Hygiene habits: Cleanliness => Fewer germs => Healthier Body
Screenings : Schedule check-ups yearly – Streps gotta catch ’em all!

But In Case Of Infection:
The battering bonanza against bacteria starts! Antibiotics like Penicillin & Ampicillin are used frequently in treatment(battling viruses will require different weapons though). IV administration of Ceftriaxone may also work if required. For mothers-to-be appropiate antibiotic use(to prevent neonatal transmission)in labor-but God forbid their frequency(if there ever was one!) doesn’t increase by over prescription.

Conclusion

Strep B infection which once had a connection solely attached to obstetrics( i.e newborns and expecting moms), now has shed off all discriminations..widening its reach towards adults too. It’s about time we became more knowledgeable about it since prevention/treatment play crucial roles here.
So let’s take baby steps together minus actual babies before completing that ‘Adulting’ checklist- Promotes Healthy Operating Kidneys? ✔ Reduces Drinking Problems?✔♩♬ Clears Strep-Infections ? ∅ Well two outta three ain’t bad!

We hope this article brightened your day and brought a new perspective to an age-old problem. Feel free to share this article with your friends and family, let’s all work together towards healthier living!

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