What is Group A Strep?
A. “Strep” is short for Streptococcus – a specific type of bacteria. Strep bacteria are divided into groups. Most strep that can cause disease in people belong to Group A. The bacteria often are found in the throat or on the skin, but they don’t cause illness. Group A strep (also known as GAS) can cause very different diseases like strep throat, rheumatic fever, scarlet fever, impetigo, ear infections, and pneumonia. Special types of Group A strep, known as types M-1 and M-3, can invade body tissues. This is why the word “invasive” is used with the name of the infection. Q.
