Streptococcal Infections (Print Version)

Also called: Also called: Strep

Streptococcal infections (strep for short) cause a variety of health problems. There are two types: group A and group B. Antibiotics are used to treat both.

Group A strep causes

Strep throat - a sore, red throat, sometimes with white spots on the tonsils
Scarlet fever - red rash on the body
Impetigo - a skin infection
Toxic shock syndrome
Cellulitis and necrotizing fasciitis (flesh-eating disease)

Group B strep can cause blood infections, pneumonia and meningitis in newborns. A screening test during pregnancy can tell if you have it. If you do, I.V. antibiotics during labor can save your baby's life. Adults can also get group B strep infections, especially if they are elderly or already have health problems. Strep B can cause urinary tract infections, blood infections, skin infections and pneumonia in adults.

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Start Here

Group A Streptococcal Infections(National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases) - http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/topics/streptococcal/
Group B Strep: Frequently Asked Questions(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/groupBstrep/general/gen_public_faq.htm
Strep Screen/Throat Culture(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/bacterial_viral/strep_throat.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/parent/en_espanol/infecciones/strep_throat_esp.html

Overviews

Group A Streptococcal (GAS) Disease(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/groupastreptococcal_g.htm
Severe Strep Infections(National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases) - http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/topics/strep/

Diagnosis/Symptoms

Strep Screen/Throat Culture(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/sick/labtest11.html
Strep Throat Test(American Association for Clinical Chemistry) - http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/strep/test.html

Prevention/Screening

Group B Strep Prevention: Guidelines(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/groupbstrep/general/gen_public_guidelines.htm

Specific Conditions

Cellulitis and Erysipelas(National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases) - http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/topics/cellulitisErysipelas/
Necrotizing Skin Infections(Merck & Co., Inc.) - http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec18/ch211/ch211j.html
Peritonsillar Abscess(InteliHealth, Harvard Medical School) - http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/9339/9399.html
Scarlet Fever(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/scarletfever_g.htm
Scarlet Fever(National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases) - http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/topics/scarletFever/
Strep Throat(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/strep-throat/DS00260/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
Strep Throat(National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases) - http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/topics/strepThroat/

Related Issues

Glomerulonephritis(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/glomerulonephritis/DS00503/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
Guttate Psoriasis(National Psoriasis Foundation) - http://www.psoriasis.org/about/psoriasis/guttate.php
JAMA Patient Page: Pneumococcal Diseases(American Medical Association) - http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/reprint/295/14/1730.pdf
Also available in Spanish http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/data/295/14/1730/DC1/1
Rheumatic Fever(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/rheumatic-fever/DS00250/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
Rheumatic Heart Disease/Rheumatic Fever(American Heart Association) - http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4709
Sydenham Chorea (Saint Vitus Dance)(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/sydenham/sydenham.htm
Sydenham's Chorea(We Move) - http://www.wemove.org/syd/syd.html
Toxic Shock Syndrome(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/bacterial_viral/toxic_shock.html

Clinical Trials

ClinicalTrials.gov: Streptococcal Infections(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Streptococcal+Infections%22

Research

How Strep Triggers Obsessive Compulsive Disorder - New Clues(National Institute of Mental Health) - http://www.nimh.nih.gov/science-news/2006/how-strep-triggers-obsessive-compulsive-disorder-new-clues.shtml

Journal Articles

References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

Article: Clinical inquiries: should you treat carriers of pharyngeal group A... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18842194&tool=MedlinePlus
Article: Review of compartment syndrome due to group A streptococcal infection. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18794622&tool=MedlinePlus
Article: Prevalence of emm types 1 and 12 from invasive Streptococcus... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18727807&tool=MedlinePlus
Streptococcal Infections -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=streptococcal+infections[majr]+NOT+(impetigo[majr]+OR+scarlet+fever[majr]+OR+pneumococcal+infections[majr]+OR+endocarditis[majr])+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]+AND+(jsubsetk[text]+OR+guideline[pt]+OR+clinical+trial[pt]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt]+OR+jsubsetaim[text]+OR+jsubsetn[text])+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt]+OR+case+reports[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
Scarlet fever -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=scarlet+fever[mh]+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+5+Years&tool=MedlinePlus

Organizations

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases - http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/

Children

Scarlet Fever(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/bacterial_viral/scarlet_fever.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/parent/en_espanol/infecciones/scarlet_fever_esp.html
Scarlet Fever(Logical Images) - http://www.visualdxhealth.com/infant/scarletFever.htm
Scoop on Strep Throat(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/ill_injure/sick/strep_throat.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/kid/en_espanol/enfermadades/strep_throat_esp.html
Sepsis(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/pregnancy_newborn/medical_problems/sepsis.html
Strep Screen/Throat Culture(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/bacterial_viral/strep_throat.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/parent/en_espanol/infecciones/strep_throat_esp.html

Teenagers

Strep Throat(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/teen/infections/bacterial_viral/strep_throat.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/teen/en_espanol/infecciones/strep_throat_esp.html
Toxic Shock Syndrome(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/teen/sexual_health/girls/tss.html

Women

Are You Pregnant? Protect Your Baby from Group B Strep!(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - Links to PDF - http://www.cdc.gov/groupbstrep/docs/gbs_brochure2005-eng.pdf
Also available in Spanish http://www.cdc.gov/groupbstrep/docs/gbs_brochure2005-sp.pdf
Group B Strep Infection: GBS(American Pregnancy Association) - http://www.americanpregnancy.org/pregnancycomplications/groupbstrepinfection.html

Adults

Group B Strep Disease: Adult Disease(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/groupBstrep/general/gen_public_adult.htm

You may also be interested in these MedlinePlus related pages:

Cellulitis - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/cellulitis.html
Impetigo - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/impetigo.html
Ear, Nose and Throat - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/earnoseandthroat.html
Infections - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/infections.html

The primary NIH organization for research on Streptococcal Infections is the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases - http://www.niaid.nih.gov/