Strep Throat, Streptococcus
Strep throat is a bacterial infection, caused by the bacteria, S. pyogenes. This bacteria is also known to cause rheumatic fever, postpartum fever, scarlet fever, pneumonia, toxic shock syndrome, impetigo, glomerulonephritis, necrotizing fasciitis, and wound infections. It is most common in late fall, winter, and early spring.The incubation period is 2-5 days, and it is more common in the northern area of the US. 15-36% of the 7.3 million out patient visits in the US each year are because of strep throat. There are two groups of S. pyogenes, A and B. Group A causes strep throat, scarlet fever, impetigo, and toxic shock syndrome. Group B causes blood infections, pneumonia, meningitis in newborns, and skin infections.