Group A Streptococcal Infections in Pediatric Age: Updates about a Re-Emerging Pathogen

Abstract

Group A Streptococcus (GAS) presents a significant global health burden due to its diverse clinical manifestations ranging from mild infections to life-threatening invasive diseases. While historically stable, the incidence of GAS infections declined during the COVID-19 pandemic but resurged following the relaxation of preventive measures. Despite general responsiveness to β-lactam antibiotics, there remains an urgent need for a GAS vaccine due to its substantial global disease burden, particularly in low-resource settings. Vaccine development faces numerous challenges, including the extensive strain diversity, the lack of suitable animal models for testing, potential autoimmune complications, and the need for global distribution, while addressing socioeconomic disparities in vaccine access. Several vaccine candidates are in various stages of development, offering hope for effective prevention strategies in the future.

Keywords

• <i>Streptococcus pyogenes</i>
• group A <i>Streptococcus</i> (GAS)
• pharyngitis
• invasive group A streptococcal infection (iGAS)
• vaccines