Infection with Group B Streptococcus (GBS), also known as Streptococcus agalactiae, can cause serious illness an sometimes death, especially in newborn infants and the elderly. Group B streptococci are also important pathogens in veterinary medicine, because they can cause bovine mastitis (inflammation of the udder) in dairy cows. The species name "agalactiae" meaning "no milk", alludes to this.