12/03/2025
Traditionally, Group B Streptococcus (GBS) testing relied on culture-based methods that take 2 to 3 days for results. But for most pregnant women, that delay isn’t just inconvenient — it can be deadly. Waiting for days for culture means some women can deliver before their GBS status is even known. If GBS is transmitted during delivery, it can cause serious infections like pneumonia, sepsis or meningitis. Fortunately, if GBS is found before birth, it can be easily treated with antibiotics.
We switched to PCR-based testing with the Hologic Panther Fusion GBS Assay. In our studies, it delivered higher accuracy than our previous methods, and most tests had results within 24 hours. Read more about GBS and PathAdvantage’s cutting-edge testing methods in our blog https://buff.ly/fagfN8G