It’s the sixth most lethal pathogen on the planet, affecting at least 40 million people globally, and killing more than half a million people each year.
Group A Streptococcus, or Strep A – a bacterium which lives in the throat and on the skin – causes the broadest range of diseases of any bug, leading to consequences that run the spectrum from mild to catastrophic.
“I often say it’s the nastiest bug you’ve probably never heard of,” Telethon Kids Institute Executive Director Professor Jonathan Carapetis said.
“It can cause everything from sore throats and skin sores, which are very common but not so severe, through to nasty infections which can kill you in a short time, such as sepsis or flesh-eating bacteria.
“But it also has unique features that activate the immune system and cause serious, lifeshortening diseases like rheumatic fever, rheumatic heart disease (RHD) and kidney disease.”
Strep A is a worldwide problem but the burden falls most heavily on vulnerable populations including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia, who experience some of the highest rates of RHD and Strep A sepsis in the world.
“The devastating impact Strep A has on so many lives, including right here in Australia, puts it at the top of the league table of bugs we need to deal with,” Professor Carapetis.
It’s this urgency that is driving large swathes of research at Telethon Kids Institute.
The Institute has become one of the world’s leading Strep A hubs, with multiple teams working in the Institute’s END RHD Program, headed by Associate Professor Asha Bowen, working to understand how Strep A works and find better ways to prevent and control the diseases it causes.
“We know there’s no single solution for Strep A so our researchers are tackling it from every possible angle,” Professor Carapetis said.
“From the lab to the bedside, from communities to health services and governments, our teams are working to accelerate research, advocate and change policy, and improve the lives of people affected by Strep A.
We’re also working collaboratively with others because we know there’s no one organisation or one individual who can do this on their own. We’re doing this together.
Did you know?
- Group A Streptococcus, or Strep A, is a type of bacteria responsible for a range of diseases – from mild infections such as pharyngitis (sore throat), and impetigo (skin sores), through to severe diseases including acute rheumatic fever, RHD and sepsis
- Strep A infections and associated adverse consequences cause an estimated half a million deaths globally every year, mostly in young adults. RHD alone affects nearly 40 million people and is responsible for at least 340,000 deaths per year
- Strep A infections can become life-threatening very quickly if the bacteria invade the body’s blood stream, muscles or lungs. This is known as invasive disease