Predictors of Death after Severe Streptococcus pyogenes Infection

An evaluation of the relative importance of host and pathogen factors on the survival rates of patients with invasive Streptococcus pyogenes infection found a number of clinical and demographic factors to be associated with risk for death.Some evidence suggested a seasonal pattern to patient survival rate.I nfectious diseases caused by Streptococcus pyogenes are among the most acutely life threatening.Although invasive S. pyogenes infections are uncommon (3 per 100,000 population annually in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia) (1-3), the case-fatality rate is high relative to many other infections (1,3,4).Identification of specific host and pathogen characteristics with poor survival rates in patients who have these infections could help identify potential pathogenic mechanisms for further research at a cellular level, potentially resulting in identification of novel therapeutic targets.