BLOGS

Group A streptococcus (Streptococcus pyogenes), also known by the abbreviation GAS, is a type of bacteria commonly found in the throat and skin. Group A streptococcal infections often cause sore throat and tonsillitis. This type of bacteria can cause scarlet fever and skin infections such as impetigo and cellulitis. In rare cases, the bacterium can also cause a life-threatening necrotizing fasciitis and toxic shock syndrome known as invasive group A streptococcal disease (iGAS). In some individuals, a group A streptococcal infection can lead to serious complications that can damage the heart (a condition known as rheumatic fever) or the kidneys (known as glomerulonephritis). Streptococcus A is also known as Beta amongst the community.

 

 

Group A streptococcus bacteria can cause illness in anyone, but the people most at risk are as follows:

 

This infection can cause sore throat, difficulty in swallowing, tonsillitis, a condition called tonsillitis, scarlet fever, cellulitis, skin diseases called impetigo, pneumonia, kidney inflammation, heart rheumatism, acute rheumatic fever and toxic shock syndrome, especially in children. For this reason, it is important to take a throat culture in children with sore throat. Most upper respiratory tract infections are caused by viruses. Rest and plenty of fluids are recommended.

Symptoms of Streptococcus A can be listed as follows:

 

 

White inflamed sores in the throat, enlargement of lymph nodes in the neck, and red spots called petechiae on the palate are more common in this disease.

Throat culture should be taken together with the “rapid strep A test” in patients presenting with sore throat and fever. If the rapid Strep A test is positive, antibiotic treatment is started immediately.

 If the result of the test is negative, there may be growth in the throat culture at a rate of 25 percent. For this reason, it is very important to follow the result of throat culture. If the test result shows "Group A streptococcus (Beta) has grown in the throat culture", antibiotic treatment is started immediately.

 

 

It should be treated within 9 days of the onset of the symptoms of the disease. Antibiotics are not required for any type of throat infections, but the aim of treatment in Beta is to prevent complications such as heart rheumatism and kidney inflammation. In treatments (in the absence of allergy), a single dose of penicillin can be injected, and oral antibiotics should be used for 10 days, up to 20 doses.

Its differential diagnosis includes rubella, Parvovirus-B19 infection, Ebstein-Barr infection, drug allergy, and Kawasaki disease.