RT Book, Section A1 Schleiss, Mark R. A2 Kline, Mark W. SR Print(0) ID 1182936745 T1 Streptococcus Group A Infections T2 Rudolph's Pediatrics, 23e YR 2018 FD 2018 PB McGraw-Hill Education PP New York, NY SN 9781259588594 LK accesspediatrics.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1182936745 RD 2022/08/15 AB Descriptions of what were likely Streptococcus pyogenes infections are found in the earliest written records of human history. S pyogenes was likely responsible for the apparent scarlet fever epidemic described by Hippocrates in the 5th century BC. The first modern description of streptococcal infection was the demonstration of the organism in patients with erysipelas and wound infection in 1874. The organism was designated Streptococcus pyogenes by Rosenbach in the late 19th century. In the early 1930s, Rebecca Lancefield’s classification of the β-hemolytic strains into characteristic distinct serogroups led to the recognition that serogroup A isolates (S pyogenes) were the strains most commonly responsible for pharyngitis and impetigo/pyoderma. S pyogenes is one of the most important infectious agents encountered in clinical practice causing infections of the upper respiratory tract and skin. S pyogenes also causes a variety of severe systemic infections, including toxic shock syndrome and life-threatening skin and soft tissue infections. Infection with this pathogen is also causally linked to 2 serious nonsuppurative complications, acute rheumatic fever and acute glomerulonephritis.