Group A streptococcal

Group A streptococcus (GAS) is a type of bacteria that can live in your throat or on your skin.

GAS can cause non-invasive health conditions like:

• sore throats
• skin infections.

These are usually mild conditions when treated by your doctor or health clinic.

In some people, GAS can cause invasive infections and sometimes people can have immune reactions, these can be life threatening conditions.

How it is spread

The bacteria can be passed from person to person by:

• talking
• coughing
• sneezing
• kissing.

Skin infections can be passed through skin to skin contact and sharing items like:

• clothing
• towels
• bedding.

Symptoms

Symptoms of a GAS throat infection may include:

• a sore, red throat or tonsils
• pus on the throat or tonsils
• pain when swallowing
• fever and chills.

GAS can also cause a red rash, sometimes known as scarlet fever. It is a mild illness if treated by your doctor or health clinic. Read more about scarlet fever on the health direct website.

If you have a GAS infection on the skin, it can cause 2 different conditions:

• streptococcal impetigo, also known as school sores, symptoms can include:
  • itchy, red skin with blisters that crust and scab
  • swollen and tender lymph nodes
  • fever.
• streptococcal cellulitis, symptoms can include:
  • skin that feels warm and tender with redness or pain
  • swollen and tender lymph nodes
  • fever.

Treatment

It's important to see a doctor or go to a health clinic for treatment of a GAS infection.

Antibiotics will be prescribed to treat it.

To reduce the risk of complications, it's important you:

• take the medicine exactly as prescribed by your doctor
• return to the doctor or health clinic if you don't feel better or you get worse.

Invasive GAS

Invasive GAS is when the infection severely infects any part of the body, such as the:

• lungs
• blood
• bones
• joints
• flesh
• brain.

This happens when your immune system cannot fight off the infection.

It can lead to:

• pneumonia
• sepsis
• streptococcal toxic shock syndrome
• meningitis
• osteomyelitis
• post-partum infection
• necrotising fasciitis (flesh eating infection)
• deep tissue abscess.

These are life threatening conditions.

Symptoms of invasive GAS

People who develop iGAS need urgent medical care in hospital.

Symptoms will depend on where your GAS infection started.

Symptoms can include:

• fever and chills
• general feeling of un-wellness
• dizziness
• headache and muscle ache
• breathlessness and chest pain
• neck stiffness and sensitive to light
• vomiting and nausea
• stomach pain
• redness, warmth and tenderness or pain at the site of infection
• bleeding or pus at the site of infection.

Who is at risk

If you were recently treated for a GAS infection and you don't get better or feel worse, you can be at risk of invasive GAS and should return to your doctor.

Most healthy people who have good access to healthcare won't develop complications from a GAS infection.

You may be more at risk of complications if you:

• do not treat the infection
• do not finish a full course of the right antibiotics
• have a weakened immune system
• have a chronic condition
• take regular steroid medication
• drink a lot of alcohol
• are under the age of 5 or over the age of 65
• a child who has had chickenpox in the last 2 weeks
• are an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person.

Immune responses to GAS

In some people, GAS infection can lead to serious complications such as:

• Acute post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis (APSGN)
• Acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD).

Prevention

To reduce your risk of a GAS infection you should:

• regularly wash your hands
• treat and cover skin cuts or sores.

How to stop the spread

If you or someone you live with has a GAS infection, you should:

• take your medicine as prescribed
• shower everyday
• wash clothes before wearing them again
• regularly wash bedding and towels
• cover the nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing
• clean surfaces such as bathroom sinks, taps and door handles.

Avoid sharing:

• clothes
• beddings
• towels
• baths.

You should see a doctor or go to a health clinic if you don't feel better or start to get worse.

Information for professionals

To find out more go to the NT Health website.

Contact

For more information contact your nearest Centre for Disease Control.