The most common symptoms usually occur two to five days after infection and can include high fever, sore throat, severe pain, swelling, redness and rash, depending on the affected organs.
In various areas of Italy and, in particular, in Rome, there are many children and adolescents who are absent from school in this period. And many parents line up at the pharmacy to ask for a tampon. This time, however, Covid-19 has nothing to do with it. The cause is the increase in infections from Streptococcus A, a group of bacteria that they can cause scarlet fever and many other health problems, ranging from minor illnesses to very serious and sometimes fatal pathologies. The most common symptoms of the infection can include high fever, sore throat, pain when swallowing, but also swelling, redness and rash, depending on the affected area. If left unrecognized, they risk leading to complications, some of which result from the spread of the infection to adjacent tissues while others can also affect distant organs. This is because group A streptococci are several bacterial strains capable of triggering more serious infections than others, of which the most significant is Streptococcus pyogenes (S. pyogenes), a beta-type hemolytic bacterium, i.e. capable of produce toxins, one of which is streptolysinis capable of destroying red blood cells.
What are the symptoms of Streptococcus A infection
Many species of group A streptococci reside in the human body without causing consequences. Some, specifically, are commonly present in the throat and on the skin in an asymptomatic manner, but can trigger infections with symptoms which, in the vast majority of cases, they are minor. Sometimes, however, infections can be associated with serious and health-threatening diseases.
I The earliest symptoms of infection appear two to five days after infection (incubation) and vary according to the areas of the body affected – including the throat, ear, nose and skin. The most common may include:
Long Covid and persistent symptoms, only 7 effects are related to the disease
- high fever
- sore throat
- pain when swallowing
- redness (red tonsils, sometimes with white spots, or petechiae, small red spots on the palate)
- swellings (swollen lymph nodes in the front of the neck)
- skin rashes
- muscle aches
- dizziness, confusion
- low pressure
- nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain
Group A Streptococcus infection, experts of the Humanity at the centerpresents its symptoms and associated diseases when manages to overwhelm the body’s defenses, for example because there are wounds through which bacteria can penetrate deep into the tissues, or because of diseases that weaken the immune system. The severity of the disease can also vary in relation to the greater danger of some group A streptococci, capable of triggering more severe infections in relation, for example, to the production of toxins.
Diseases caused by Streptococcus A
As stated, most strains of Streptococcus A cause minor infections, such as faringite streptococcica (or strep tonsillitis) and skin infections (impetigo) that especially affect children. Other diseases associated with group A Streptococcus infection are otitis media (middle ear infection)cellulitis (infection of the subcutaneous tissue), erysipelas (a superficial form of cellulitis) and the scarlet fever (an exanthematous disease predominantly of childhood) capable of determining the classic scalettinic eruption, which initially appears in the form of small red spots in the groin and armpit area, and then spread rapidly to the trunk, arms and legs.
The typical skin rashes of scarlet fever / MSD
If left untreated, some infections can cause serious complications. For example, an ear infection can spread to the sinuses, causing sinusitisor to the mastoid process (the bony prominence behind the ear), determining the mastoiditis.
Other complications are rheumatic fever (an inflammation of the joints, heart, skin, and nervous system) and acute glomerulonephritis (an inflammation of the glomeruli, the blood vessel network of the kidney), and necrotizing fasciitis (a severe soft tissue infection) and toxic shock syndrome (a multisystem inflammatory response). Serious illnesses associated with group A streptococcus infection include septicemia, pneumonia and, more rarely, endocarditis.
How is Streptococcus A infection transmitted?
Group A streptococci are transmitted by:
- Inhalation of airborne droplets from nasal or pharyngeal secretions emitted when an infected person coughs or sneezes
- Contact with infected wounds or skin ulcers
Usually, they spell out i MSD manualsbacteria are not spread by casual contact, but by transmission can occur in crowded environments, such as dormitories, schools and military barracks. However, it is enough to make a Streptococcus A infection non-contagious a 24-hour antibiotic treatment. However, to treat it adequately, it is necessary to complete the entire antibiotic therapy.
How is Streptococcus A infection treated and how long does it last?
The active ingredient for the treatment of both mild and more serious group A Streptococcus infections is penicillin (amoxicillin); in case of allergy it is possible to use erythromycin.
Infections that cause strep throat and other minor illnesses usually resolve in 1-2 weeks. Antibiotic therapy shortens the duration of symptoms in young children, but may have little effect on symptoms in adolescents and adults. In these cases, fever, headache and sore throat can be treated with acetaminophen or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
Other infections, such as cellulitis, can be treated even with other antibiotics (such as dicloxacillin or cephalexin) effective against both streptococci and staphylococci, in the absence of culture to identify the causative bacteria. The most dangerous infections (like necrotizing fasciitis, endocarditis and severe cellulitis) instead require the administration of intravenous penicillin, sometimes associated with other antibiotics. Necrotizing fasciitis, in particular, is treated in an intensive care unit and requires surgical removal of infected and necrotic tissue.
