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Glam Journal

Can Group B strep cause urinary tract infection?

Author

Matthew Perez

Updated on March 08, 2026

Can Group B strep cause urinary tract infection?

Sometimes GBS bacteria can cause urinary tract infections (UTIs or bladder infections).

What does group B strep in urine mean?

Group B Strep in the urine GBS 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.

Which antibiotics treat group B strep UTI?

Penicillin remains the drug of choice in the treatment of Group B Streptococcus related urinary tract infections (16).

How common is strep B UTI?

Chronic UTI are difficult to prevent and treat, and infections are often recurrent. Over 80% of UTI are caused by uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) (Ronald, 2002). Approximately 2% of UTI are caused by GBS.

What is strep in urine culture?

This test looks for group B streptococcus (GBS) bacteria in a culture sample either from your urine or from secretions in your vagina and rectum. This test is advised for all pregnant women. GBS bacteria can cause severe illness in pregnant women and newborns.

Does nitrofurantoin treat group B strep UTI?

The antibiotic selected for intrapartum chemoprophylaxis should be guided by the organism’s antibiotic sensitivity pattern. Patients with GBS bacteriuria should be treated with nitrofurantoin.

When is GBS treated in urine?

If you have symptoms of urinary tract infection, such as burning pain with urination, any time during your pregnancy, a urine culture should be done. If GBS grows from the urine culture, this infection should be treated with an oral antibiotic, but you should also receive an IV antibiotic during labor.

What does testing positive for strep B mean?

If a test finds GBS, the woman is said to be “GBS positive.” This means only that she has the bacteria in her body — not that she or her baby will become sick from it. GBS infection in babies is diagnosed by testing a sample of blood or spinal fluid.

Can I pass group B strep to my husband?

It is unknown (aside from during childbirth) how GBS spreads from person to person. The bacteria is not always present and detectable in the body and may come and go. You may test positive in one pregnancy and negative in another. You cannot give GBS to your partner or your other children.

What does Strep B positive mean?

Should I be worried about strep B?

Group B streptococcus is a common type of bacteria that is often found in the rectum or vagina of healthy women. Around 25 percent of women carry these bacteria, which are usually not harmful, though they might cause a urinary tract infection and, rarely, more serious infections.

What happens if you test positive for Group B Strep?

If you test positive for group B strep, it doesn’t mean that you’re ill or that your baby will be affected. It simply means the potential for newborn infection exists. Talk with your health care provider about a plan for labor and make sure you remind your health care team of your group B strep status during labor.

What are the symptoms of Group B streptococcus?

Fever

  • Difficulty feeding
  • Lethargy (the baby is tired,hard to wake up,limp,or inactive)
  • Difficulty breathing (with severe breathing problems,the baby’s skin,lips,or nails may turn blue)
  • What causes Group B Strep in urine?

    Group B strep infections are caused by bacteria from the species and genus Streptococcus agalactiae. Streptococci were divided into groups in 1933 by mixing the strains with antibodies that were produced in rabbits.

    Should I test for Group B Strep?

    If you’re pregnant, your health care provider will likely recommend a group B strep test during the third trimester. During a group B strep test, your health care provider will swab your vagina and rectum and send the samples to a lab for testing.