Group A Streptococcus (GAS), or Streptococcus
pyogenes, causes a variety of streptococcal infections, including acute pharyngitis,
impetigo, toxic shock syndrome, invasive fasciitis, pyoderma, scarlet fever, and
pneumonia. Among mild GAS infections, an estimated that 25-30 million cases of
suspected GAS pharyngitis are registered each year in the North American countries.
Pharyngitis is the second leading cause of pediatric office visits in the U. S., resulting
in a $2 billion annual burden to the U. S. healthcare system. About three percent of all
streptococcal pharyngitis infections trigger a variety of immunologic disease, including
acute rheumatic fever (ARF) with array of complications.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (U. S.) serious invasive
GAS infections are diagnosed in 10,000-15,000 patients annually in the U. S. alone,
with high mortality of approximately 20%.
Up to 30 percent of the strains of this bacterium, which can cause
pneumonia, meningitis, and ear infections, are at least partially resistant to antibiotics
in the penicillin family, according to the Mayo Clinic. Acute Streptococcus pyogenes
infections may take the form of pharyngitis, scarlet fever (rash), impetigo, cellulitis,
or erysipelas. Invasive infections can result in necrotizing fasciitis, myositis and
streptococcal toxic shock syndrome. Patients may also develop immune-mediated sequelae
such as acute rheumatic fever and acute glomerulonephritis. S agalactiae may cause
meningitis, neonatal sepsis, and pneumonia in neonates; adults may experience vaginitis,
puerperal fever, urinary tract infection, skin infection, and endocarditis. Viridans
Streptococci can cause endocarditis, and Enterococcus is associated with urinary tract and
biliary tract infections. Anaerobic Streptococci participate in mixed infections of the
abdomen, pelvis, brain, and lungs.
In humans, diseases associated with the Streptococci occur chiefly in
the respiratory tract, bloodstream, or as skin infections. Human disease is most commonly
associated with Group A streptococci. Acute group A streptococcal disease is most often a
respiratory infection (pharyngitis or tonsillitis) or a skin infection (pyoderma). Also
medically significant are the late immunologic sequelae, not directly attributable to
dissemination of bacteria, of group A infections (rheumatic fever following respiratory
infection and glomerulonephritis following respiratory or skin infection) which remain a
major worldwide health concern. Much effort is being directed toward clarifying the risk
and mechanisms of these sequelae and identifying rheumatogenic and nephritogenic strains. S
pneumoniae remains a primary cause of serious focal and systemic infections, the
first most common cause of community acquired pneumonia in the United States and of fatal
bacterial pneumonia in developing countries. Hemorrhagic shock in association with S
pneumoniae sepsis in previously healthy children has been reported recently in the
United States. Of major biologic importance is a renewed interest in safe and effective
streptococcal vaccines.
Phage Therapy for Treating Streptococcus Infections
Phage Therapy
Center
Phage Therapy Center treats antibiotic-resistant infections. [More information...]
Additional Information About Phage Therapy for this Condition
Journal Antimicrobal Chemotherapy
Phage lytic enzymes as therapy for antibiotic-resistant
Streptococcus pneumoniae infection in a murine sepsis model.
Journal of Infection
Bacteriophages show promise as antimicrobial agents
Wired News
West
Recruits Bacteria Assasins
Science Online
Stalin's Forgotten Cure
The Rockerfeller University
Researchers
Find Novel Way to Kill Streptococci Bacteria
Microbiology
Long-circulating
bacteriophage as antibacterial agents
Department of Community and Family Medicine
Bacteriophages show promise as antimicrobial agents.
Evergreen State College
Phage Therapy as Antibiotics
March
2000 Addendum
Eliava Institute
List of Bacteriophages
Medical Information
Innovations Report, September 21, 2004
Strep bacteria uses a sword and shield to win battle against immune system
A single gene called cylE within the important bacterial pathogen Group B Streptococcus
(GBS), controls two factors that act together as a "sword" and
"shield" to protect the bacteria from the killing effects of the immune
system’s white blood cells, according to researchers at the University of California,
San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine.
Science Daily, July 27, 2004
Genome-wide Analysis Provides Detailed Understanding Of Flesh-Eating
Bacteria Epidemics
New research using nearly a dozen different genomic testing procedures has revealed
unprecedented detail about the molecular characteristics and virulence of group A
Streptococcus (GAS), the "flesh-eating" bacteria, according to scientists at the
Rocky Mountain Laboratories (RML), part of the National Institute of Allergy and
Infectious Diseases (NIAID) of the National Institutes of Health.
AIDSMap, May 20, 2004
HIV-positive patients still at high risk of pneumococcal infections in the
HAART era
The incidence of pneumococcal disease in HIV-positive patients remains elevated in the
HAART era, according to Spanish research published in the June 1st edition of Clinical
Infectious Diseases, which is now available on-line. What’s more, the investigators
found that pneumococcal disease was as likely to occur in patients with a CD4 cell count
above 200 cells/mm3 as it was in individuals with a CD4 cell count below this level, and
that mortality caused by pneumococcal infections was high. |
