Editing Group A streptococcal infection (section)

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| image           = Streptococcus pyogenes.jpg 
| caption         = ''Streptococcus pyogenes'' 
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'''Group A streptococcal infections''' are a number of [[infection]]s with ''[[Streptococcus pyogenes]]'', a [[group A streptococcus]] (GAS).<ref name=Goldman2020>{{cite book |last1=Stevens |first1=Dennis L.|last2=Bryant|first2=Amy E.|last3=Hagman|first3=Melissa M. |editor1-last=Goldman |editor1-first=Lee |editor2-last=Schafer |editor2-first=Andrew I. |title=Goldman-Cecil Medicine |date=2020 |publisher=Elsevier |location=Philadelphia|isbn=978-0-323-55087-1 |pages=1871–1878|edition=26th|volume=2 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7pKqDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA1872 |language=en |chapter=274. Nonpneumococcal streptococcal infections and rheumatic fever}}</ref> ''S.&nbsp;pyogenes'' is a species of [[beta-hemolytic]] [[Gram-positive bacteria]] that is responsible for a wide range of infections that are mostly common and fairly mild. If the bacteria enters the bloodstream, the infection can become severe and life-threatening, and is called an invasive GAS (iGAS).<ref name="cdc.gov">{{cite web|title=Group A Streptococcal (GAS) Disease |url=https://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/groupastreptococcal_g.htm |publisher=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |access-date=November 21, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071219224215/http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/groupastreptococcal_g.htm |archive-date=December 19, 2007 }}</ref><ref name="JBC2019">{{cite journal |last1=Zorzoli |first1=Azul |last2=Meyer |first2=Benjamin H. |last3=Adair |first3=Elaine |last4=Torgov |first4=Vladimir I. |last5=Veselovsky |first5=Vladimir V. |last6=Danilov |first6=Leonid L. |last7=Uhrin |first7=Dusan |last8=Dorfmueller |first8=Helge C. |title=Group A, B, C, and G Streptococcus Lancefield antigen biosynthesis is initiated by a conserved α-d-GlcNAc-β-1,4-l-rhamnosyltransferase |url=https://www.jbc.org/article/S0021-9258(20)33770-4/fulltext |journal=Journal of Biological Chemistry |access-date=24 December 2022 |pages=15237–15256 |language=English |doi=10.1074/jbc.RA119.009894 |date=18 October 2019 |volume=294 |issue=42 |pmid=31506299 |pmc=6802508 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

Infection of GAS may spread through direct contact with [[mucus]] or sores on the skin.<ref name="cdc.gov"/> GAS infections can cause over 500,000 deaths per year.<ref name="Cohen-Poradosu 2007">{{cite journal|last1=Cohen-Poradosu|first1=Ronit|last2=Kasper|first2=Dennis|title=Group A Streptococcus Epidemiology and Vaccine Implications|journal=Clinical Infectious Diseases|year=2007|doi=10.1086/521263|pmid=17806050|volume=45|issue=7|pages=863–5|doi-access=free}}</ref> Despite the emergence of [[antibiotic]]s as a treatment for group A streptococcus, cases of iGAS are an increasing problem, particularly on the continent of Africa.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Carapetis|first1=JR|last2=Steer|first2=AC|last3=Mulholland|first3=EK|last4=Weber|first4=M|title=The global burden of group A streptococcal diseases.|journal=The Lancet Infectious Diseases|date=November 2005|volume=5|issue=11|pages=685–94|doi=10.1016/S1473-3099(05)70267-X|pmid=16253886}}</ref>

There are many other species of ''[[Streptococcus]]'', including [[group B streptococcus]] ''[[Streptococcus agalactiae]]'', and ''[[Streptococcus pneumoniae]]'', which cause other types of infections.  Several [[virulence factor]]s contribute to the pathogenesis of GAS, such as [[M protein (Streptococcus)|M protein]], [[hemolysin]]s, and extracellular enzymes.