Rapidly Fatal Hemorrhagic Pneumonia and Group A Streptococcus Serotype M1

Abstract

We report 3 cases of fulminant hemorrhagic pneumonia in previously health patients. Sudden-onset hemoptysis and dyspnea developed; all 3 patients and died <12 h later of massive pulmonary bleeding, despite aggressive supportive care. Postmortem analysis showed that the illnesses were caused by group A Streptococcus emm1/sequence type 28 strains.

Keywords

• Hemorrhagic pneumonia
• group A Streptococcus
• GAS
• streptococci
• bacteria
• serotype M1