Strepelle is a home-to-laboratory test for Group B Streptococcus (Group B Strep or GBS). Up to one in five of all pregnant women will be carriers of Group B Strep in the birth canal and the bacterium can be passed during labour to their baby. One in five newborns who are infected with Group B Strep suffer from serious, life-changing illnesses such as meningitis, septicaemia or pneumonia, which can have life-long effects such as brain damage, hearing loss and sight loss. One in ten babies with the infection will die from it.
In the UK 70 babies a year die from Group B Strep infection
The only way of knowing if a pregnant woman is carrying the bacterium is by having a laboratory test. The highly accurate Strepelle test (Strepelle Website) will determine whether the pregnant woman is carrying the bacterium. In the UK, pregnant women are not routinely offered testing for group B Strep by the NHS unlike in many other developed countries.
The good news is that with Strepelle, the very simple sample-to-laboratory test, the bacterium will be identified during pregnancy allowing the woman to be treated with antibiotics during labour, thus protecting the baby from the risk of infection.
Strepelle was created in partnership with midwives and was launched at the recent Baby Show in London to great acclaim. It was designed to make laboratory testing for GBS more available and convenient, save babies lives, and prevent heart-breaking devastation in families. The accurate and easy to use test is for use from 35 weeks pregnant. The home-to-laboratory test can be purchased on-line or in store for £39.99 and contains everything that is needed to provide a sample to the laboratory; instructions, two swabs and a pre-paid envelope; the results will arrive within 3 days of receipt of the sample, either by letter, text, or email (whichever is best for the receiver). If a woman is a carrier, all she needs to do is let her doctor or midwife know, and antibiotics will be administered intravenously during labour.
Brendan Farrell, CEO of Strepelle, said: “The launch of Strepelle will significantly reduce the many risks associated with Group B Strep in newborn babies across the UK. Once GBS is detected it will enable healthcare professionals to tailor a care plan to expectant mothers, ensuring that the correct treatment is administered during labour which will prevent babies from becoming exposed to the potentially harmful bacterium.”
You can read more about Group B Strep on the NHS website here: NHS UK Group B Strep
HiberGene Diagnostics
HiberGene Diagnostics, is the company who have pioneered Strepelle and who support the NHS with the highest level of professional GBS tests. Strepelle is the most accurate Group B Streptococcus test currently on the market and designed specifically to detect Group B strep. Highly sensitive, Strepelle utilises the gold standard method of testing, Enriched Culture Medium (ECM). Research has shown that when the ECM test is performed within 5 weeks of delivery it can give a high prediction whether or not GBS will be present at delivery or not. It is a home to laboratory test, which means that you are getting access to the accuracy and reliability of a professional test from the convenience of your own home. Recommended from 35 weeks of pregnancy.
Once you have purchased Strepelle from the website or in store you can sit back and relax. The test is quick and easy to use and all you need to do is collect two swab samples. Everything is included in the kit and simple step-by-step instructions will guide you through the process. The Freepost envelope will allow you to post the samples back to our laboratory.
As soon as we receive your sample swabs we will run the test. You will receive your results within three days by either text, email, or letter depending on your choice.
