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What is Streptococcus Agalactiae?

With literally millions of bacteria both good and bad present in everyday life, it's no wonder some people develop germ related phobias. Linked to a plethora of illnesses and diseases, experts say the adaptability of micro-organisms would allow them to survive a nuclear holocaust. Indeed, the Apollo 12 mission brought back "streptococcus mitis" as a traveler that survived the vacuum of space. One of that microbes distant earthbound cousins, streptococcus agalactiae, has been attributed to birth complications in pregnant and delivering women.

  1. Features

    • Lumped into the B group of the streptococcus family in the bacilli kingdom, S. agalactiae is a nasty virus, characterized by its hydrolyzing of sodium hippurate, a carbon based acid found in animal urine. S. agalactiaes discovery in the late 19th century prompted scientists to confine the virus only to animal waste products, specifically horses, thus endangering only the animal. Later research with human infection cases found that notion to be short-sighted, as not only pregnant women contracted the virus but also healthy non-pregnant women as well, although those cases possessed previous health issues.

    Function

    • S. agalactiae's home is on the human body, more importantly the human female body, where it lives normally along the vaginal and rectal tissue exteriors. Once the mother gives birth and the baby has to pass through the birth canal, the virus catches the baby on the way out. Luckily, although nearly half of the infants tested are found positive of virus contamination, it is estimated that only 2% or less develop any sepsis related complications. No known cases have been found in babies birthed through Caesarean section.

    Effects

    • A host of negative effects can come from exposure to the virus, classified into early and late stage groups, thus presenting a wider set of ailments. Early illness can often lead to pneumonia or, to a lesser degree, meningitis. Symptoms usually manifest in newborns anywhere from one day to one week old. The latter stage threatens meningitis or bacteremia, a high blood borne concentration of the bacteria.

    Prevention/Solution

    • Currently there are no known cures once the virus has been contracted, although progress has been made in recent years taking a preventative approach. The theory is in dealing with the virus through immunizing healthy women prior to child bearing years would result in a decrease of the number of children contracting the disease. Many doctors argue against the idea, due to the high risk, both legally and holistically, of the long term effects of anti-viral drugs in expectant mothers. During the past decade, some doctors have successfully given term patients ampicillin intravenously, resulting in fewer instances of the disease.

    Warning

    • Viral contamination from S. agalactiae is nearly non-existent in healthy adult females, but is associated with those having other ailments, such as diabetes, AIDS, or peripheral vascular disease. Due to the survival capability of the virus, some patients diagnosed with diseases from infection that have successfully completed treatment have had the virus remiss, although statistics show that these cases are rare, occurring in less than 5% of the infected population. If not treated however, the mortality rates hover around the 20% mark. As always, consult with your physician prior to getting pregnant, if possible, to determine any risk factors you may have.

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