Abstract

The late 1980s have witnessed the emergence of severe group A streptococcus (GAS) infection; shock, bacteremia, and acute respiratory distress syndrome are common features, and death has been associated with this infection in 30% of patients. Such infections have now been described in all parts of the United States, Europe, and Australia and have occurred predominantly in otherwise healthy adolescents and adults. The characteristic clinical and laboratory features of the streptococcal toxic shock syndrome include deep-seated infection associated with shock and multiorgan failure. Strains of GAS isolated from patients with invasive disease have been predominantly M types 1 and 3, which produce pyrogenic exotoxin A or B or both. In this report, the clinical and demographic features of streptococcal bacteremia, myositis, and necrotizing fasciitis will be presented and compared with those of streptococcal toxic shock syndrome. Current concepts of the pathogenesis of invasive streptococcal infection will also be presented in terms of the interaction between virulence factors of GAS and host defense mechanisms. Finally, new concepts for future treatment of serious streptococcal infections will be proposed.