Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what information his Department holds on the proportion of adults who carry group B streptococus.

Studies undertaken¹ to date indicate group B streptococcus could be carried in the gut and genital tract of 20-30% adults. Carriage of the organism in mouth and throat is less well assessed but thought to occur in less than 10% of adults.

Note:

1 Rodriguez-Granger J, Alvargonzalez JC, Berardi A, et al. Prevention of group B streptococcal neonatal disease revisited. The DEVANI European project. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 2012; 31(9): 2097-104.