Association of Group B Streptococcus colonization and bovine exposure: a prospective cross-sectional cohort study.

Background: While Group B Streptococcus (GBS) human colonization and infection has long been suspected as originating from cows, several investigators have suggested that ongoing interspecies GBS transmission is unlikely due to genotyping data demonstrating that human and bovine-derived GBS strains represent mostly distinct populations. The possibility of ongoing transmission between humans and their livestock has not been systematically examined.

Methodology/principal Findings: To examine ongoing interspecies transmission, we conducted a prospective cross-sectional cohort study of 68 families and their livestock.