Pathogenesis, epidemiology and control of Group A Streptococcus infection

Abstract

Streptococcus pyogenes (Group A Streptococcus; GAS) is exquisitely adapted to the human host, resulting in asymptomatic infection, pharyngitis, pyoderma, scarlet fever or invasive diseases, with potential for triggering post-infection immune sequelae. GAS deploys a range of virulence determinants to allow colonization, dissemination within the host and transmission, disrupting both innate and adaptive immune responses to infection. Fluctuating global GAS epidemiology is characterized by the emergence of new GAS clones, often associated with the acquisition of new virulence or antimicrobial determinants that are better adapted to the infection niche or averting host immunity. The recent identification of clinical GAS isolates with reduced penicillin sensitivity and increasing macrolide resistance threatens both frontline and penicillin-adjunctive antibiotic treatment. The World Health Organization (WHO) has developed a GAS research and technology road Surface-bound virulence factors M protein. GAS is classified based on the sequence of the 5′ end of the gene encoding the M protein (emm). More than 220 emm genotypes have been identified 2 . The M protein is a dimeric coiled-coil fibrillar protein that extends from the bacterial cell wall 38 . It consists of a conserved Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author selfarchiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Dissecting the properties of circulating IgG against Group A Streptococcus through a combined systems antigenomics-serology workflow

“…GAS has been the subject of intensive research due to its high disease burden, broad spectrum of pathogenic mechanisms, and geographically constrained serotype prevalence (25). A roadmap towards a GAS vaccine has recently been outlined by the World Health Organization (WHO) to contain the burden of both local and invasive streptococcal infections, as well as their autoimmune sequelae (29).…”

Bacterial cholesterol-dependent cytolysins and their interaction with the human immune response

“…Group A Streptococcus (GAS; Streptococcus pyogenes) is a major human pathogen accounting for 700 million cases of disease worldwide annually and of those 1.8 million severe infections occur with a mortality rate of 25% [27][28][29]. GAS is responsible for a broad variety of infections ranging from acute pharyngitis and impetigo to invasive and deadly diseases like streptococcal toxic shock syndrome, necrotizing fasciitis, and bacteremia, as well as postinfectious autoimmune disorders [27,30,31]. Generally, GAS is considered an extracellular pathogen; however, reports of viable intracellular GAS have been documented in macrophages, epithelial cells, and neutrophils to shield from immune effectors and further promote colonization and infection [32][33][34][35][36].…”

Carta al editor con relación al artículo: “Influenza vs COVID-19: sus consecuencias y los intereses de las pandemias”

“…Es verdad que la resistencia ocurrió con el uso amplio de este antiviral, explicado en parte por la incapacidad de cubrir con pruebas suficientes a toda la población, pero también es necesario señalar que aunque la resistencia a los fármacos antimicrobianos puede generarse mediante abuso, también la genética molecular nos muestra que la resistencia puede ocurrir como un producto de la evolución natural 8 y nunca ocurrir a pesar de décadas de uso de un antimicrobiano como ocurre con la penicilina frente a Streptoccus pyogenes que nunca ha desarrollado resistencia a pesar de poco menos de un siglo de uso. 9 Finalmente, los autores señalan en la sección de "Comparaciones en cuanto a hospitalizaciones y Morbimortalidad" que un hospital ubicado en Boston realizó un estudio similar al que ellos presentan, pero no fue posible consultar dicho trabajo debido a que no aparece la referencia en el texto, sin embargo, con base en sus hipótesis y por tanto consecuencias verificables, no parecen haber corroborado mediante análisis estadístico…”