Epidemiological shifts in and impact of COVID-19 on streptococcal toxic shock syndrome in Japan: A genotypic analysis of Group A Streptococcus isolates

Group A Streptococcus (GAS, Streptococcus pyogenes) strains cause pharyngitis, tonsillitis, skin and soft tissue infections, bacteremia, and scarlet fever. Since the late 1980s, streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS) caused by GAS infection has been a major health problem in several countries [1 –5]. The characteristic symptoms progress rapidly and are fulminant from disease onset. Patients can develop necrotizing fasciitis, acute kidney failure, acute respiratory distress syndrome, disseminated intravascular coagulopathy, and multi-organ failure within a few hours of disease onset, leadi ng to shock and even death.

Source: International Journal of Infectious Diseases - February 19, 2024 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Tadayoshi Ikebe, Rumi Okuno, Yumi Uchitani, Takahiro Yamaguchi, Junko Isobe, Emi Maenishi, Yoshimi Date, Hitoshi Otsuka, Yu Kazawa, Shohei Fujita, Ayaka Kobayashi, Mami Takano, Shinya Tsukamoto, Yoshiko Kanda, Makoto Ohnishi, Yukihiro Akeda, The Working G Source Type: research