Comparison of carriage rates of group B streptococcus in diabetic and nondiabetic persons

In several published studies, diabetic persons appeared to be at increased risk for Group B streptococcal disease. Since colonization with pathogens frequently antedates disease, the authors studied the carriage rate of Group B streptococcus in 38 diabetic and in 39 nondiabetic age- and sex-matched subjects. Fifty-four per cent of the controls and 34% of the diabetics carried Group B streptococci in at least one of five sites cultured (p less than 0.05). The data indicate that an increased carriage rate of Group B streptococci cannot be invoked as a reason for the increased numbers of diabetic persons among patients with Group B streptococcal infections.