What are group A strep invasive diseases?
Group A strep invasive diseases are serious infections caused by a type of bacteria called group A streptococcus. It is also called group A strep or GAS. The bacteria are found most often in the throat and on the skin, and they usually cause relatively mild illnesses such as strep throat or impetigo. However, group A strep can cause 2 rare but very severe forms of strep infection: necrotizing fasciitis (sometimes described by the media as flesh-eating bacteria) and streptococcal toxic shock syndrome, or STSS. Both of these infections can be deadly.
