Mozart 'killed by strep throat'

This can actually get pretty serious... Remember "flesh-eating bacteria"? ...

"Today, I wish to talk about a set of infections called: Invasive Group A Streptococcus (or IGAS for short) infections, which are extremely serious with high mortality rates and caused by the Group A streptococcus bacteria such as streptococcus pyrogenes. These infections are similar to GAS infections (just Group A Streptococcus infections) apart from the fact they appear in areas where infections/bacteria are not usually found i.e. muscle. GAS disease can range from mild to severe, being localised or affecting multiple areas of the body. Below are some examples: ...

Severe GAS or IGAS Disease:

Nectrotizing Fasciitis: a rapidly spreading infection of the subcutaneous tissue in which necrosis of said tissue occurs due to the toxins released by the bacteria. The media often refer to NF causing bacteria as “flesh eating bacteria”. This is a common misconception, as the bacteria don’t ‘eat’ the subcutaneous tissue, but instead, the toxins necrose it. http://www.bio.davidson.edu | NF

Streptococcus Toxic Shock Syndrome (STSS): a syndrome in which the extremely virulent exotoxins released by the Strep bacteria during an IGAS infection circulate through the blood causing multiple organ failure. It has an estimated mortality rate of about 50%. This is closely associated with other IGAS infections such as Necrotising Fasciitis as this can lead to STSS

Symptoms and Transmission:

A worrying fact about IGAS infections such as NF (Necrotizing Fasciitis), is that they start from places where the skin has broken, no matter how tiny. I.e. the infection could spread from a major knife wound, or from an undetectable pin prick. If the bacteria that enter the wound can get past the body’s natural line of defence, an IGAS infection will begin. Hence people are at higher risk if they are either suffering from another disease at the time (i.e sore throat), or are immunosuppressed (i.e. transplant patient). IGAS infections also tend to infect the elderly, people suffering from chronic diseases (i.e. diabetes or cancer) and people who have a history of drug and alcohol abuse more often....The symptoms of severe IGAS infections rapidly progress from mild to severe. One NF survivor became infected due to a tiny cut on her shoulder. She went on to describe the pain as ‘the pain you get from working out too hard’. People suffering from NF describe the pain as increasingly severe with accompanying swelling. In addition NF/STSS sufferers also experience flu-like symptoms (i.e. a fever and vomiting and a common cause of mis-diagnosis, which accompanied with the rapidly progressing symptoms cause many fatalities). Late NF/STSS symptoms are large black/purple/white blisters filled with black fluid due to the actual necrosis of tissue with STSS causing huge blood pressure drops and renal and kidney failure...

Prevention and Treatment:

the best prevention is to avoid opening the skin barrier, as any wounds become potential sites of infection for GAS disease. Good hygiene (i.e. hand washing) is a formidable barrier against GAS/IGAS diseases. People who have a painful/swollen wound should seek immediate medical attention if a fever develops, as this is an early sign of NF/STSS...(even with the best treatment "significant" deaths do occur he says)