Final answer:
Group B Strep, also known as Streptococcus agalactiae, is a gram-positive bacterium that can cause neonatal meningitis. It is the most common cause of this type of meningitis in babies. Group B Strep is classified as group B and is non-hemolytic.
Step-by-step explanation:
Group B Strep, also known as Streptococcus agalactiae, is a gram-positive bacterium that can cause neonatal meningitis. It is the most common cause of this type of meningitis in babies up to 3 months of age. Group B Strep can also cause meningitis in people of all ages and is found in the urogenital and gastrointestinal microbiota of about 10-30% of humans.
In a clinical laboratory, medically important streptococci are classified into Lancefield groups based on the types of hemolysis observed when the bacteria are grown on Blood Agar Plates. Group B Strep is categorized as group B and is non-hemolytic (does not cause a clear zone of hemolysis on the agar plate).
Rebecca Lancefield serologically classified streptococci in the 1930s using carbohydrate antigens from the bacterial cell walls. Group B Strep is part of the Lancefield group B streptococci and is often referred to as GBS.