Are you familiar with streptococcal bacteria? These bacteria can be at the root of various disorders, which can make you seriously ill. In this article, we explain what diseases the streptococcal bacteria cause, how contagious they are and how you can recover after an infection.
What are Streptococcal Bacteria?
Streptococci can be divided into several groups, of which Group A, Group B and pneumococci are the best known. These streptococcal bacteria can cause many different diseases. For example, scarlet fever, impetigo, tonsillitis, puerperal fever and necrotizing fasciitis (the flesh-eating bacteria) can be traced back to Group A streptococci. GBS disease, most common in newborn babies, is the most common disease arising from Group B streptococci. And pneumococci logically cause pneumococcal diseases, such as pneumonia, meningitis and blood poisoning. In the autumn of 2022, there was a free vaccination round for this, for people aged 66 to 69, sometimes including a flu shot.
How can you get them?
Coughing, loud talking and sneezing are the main causes of the transmission of streptococcal bacteria. This keeps the droplets suspended in the air and allows other people to ingest them through the nose and throat. Mutual contact reinforces this effect, so good hygiene remains important. In the case of Group B streptococci, the mother usually passes them on to her child during childbirth. Incidentally, not all carriers of streptococcal bacteria immediately become ill. For example, in newborn babies, 1 in 1,000 Group B streptococcal infections result in disease.
What Are Symptoms of Streptococcal Bacteria Infections?
The incubation period varies from disease to disease. For example, with GBS disease, there is usually a 24-hour interval between infection and becoming ill. But with scarlet fever this can take 1 week and with impetigo even 2 weeks. Every disease has its own symptoms, but an infection of streptococcal bacteria is almost always accompanied by a fever. In the Group B streptococci and pneumococci, this can lead to breathing problems.
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When are streptococcal bacteria dangerous?
What if you first get the flu and then pick up one of the strep bacteria? In these cases, if you get an infection on top of another disease, we speak of a superinfection. Such a superinfection often leads to hospitalization, especially in people over the age of 85. In addition, pneumococci can be dangerous in themselves. Pneumococcal infections are certainly not always fatal, but an infection is riskier than with Group B streptococci. The National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) speaks of 6,000 admissions and 900 deaths per year, among people over the age of 60.
How can you heal after an infection?
In the case of an infection by streptococcal bacteria, it is often a matter of getting sick, if it makes you sick at all. But sometimes the infection is much more serious and antibiotics and/or hospitalization are necessary. Once someone has started taking antibiotics, they are usually no longer contagious after 24 hours. Pregnant women are sometimes given antibiotics as a precaution to prevent their babies from being infected with Group B streptococci.
(Source: Archive, RIVM, Thuisarts, brandwonenzorg.nl, Algemeen Dagblad. Photo: Shutterstock)