DISEASE NAME:
Invasive Group A Streptococcal Disease (GAS)
CATEGORY:
Other Disease
Invasive Group A Streptococcal Disease (GAS)
Group A Streptococcus (GAS) is often found in the throat and on the skin of healthy people where it causes no harm. Most GAS infections are fairly mild illnesses such as “strep throat” and impetigo (skin infection). Less commonly, GAS can cause more severe and life-threatening infections.
Invasive GAS (iGAS) is an infection where the bacteria is isolated or detected from a normally sterile body site, such as blood or spinal fluid. In rare cases, iGAS disease can result in streptococcal toxic shock syndrome or necrotising fasciitis, the most severe manifestations of iGAS.
iGAS disease is a notifiable disease in Ireland.
Guidelines for the Public Health Management of Contacts of Invasive Group A Streptococcus (iGAS) infection in Ireland
The Research and Guideline Development Unit (RGDU) have published new Guidelines for the Public Health Management of Contacts of Invasive Group A Streptococcus (iGAS) Infection in Ireland.
The new guidelines were produced in collaboration with an expert guideline development group. They cover the public health management of contacts of iGAS infection across a range of settings, including households, crèches, schools and other childcare settings, residential care facilities and other congregate community settings.
The new iGAS guidelines can be accessed in full at the link above, or as individual chapters.
Case definition
Clinical criteria
Severe clinical presentation consistent with iGAS or severe GAS infection such as;
- streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS)
- necrotising fasciitis
- pneumonia
- septic arthritis
- meningitis
- peritonitis
- osteomyelitis
- myositis
- puerperal sepsis
- cellulitis
accompanied by a systemic presentation necessitating hospitalisation.
Laboratory criteria
- Laboratory criteria
- Isolation of group A streptococcus (GAS), by culture or molecular methods (such as PCR), from a normally sterile body site (blood, cerebrospinal fluid, pleural-peritoneal-pericardial fluids, joint aspirate, bone, or deep tissue or abscess at operation or post-mortem)
- Isolation of GAS from a non-sterile site (e.g. throat, sputum, vagina)
Epidemiological criteria
Suspected case has an epidemiological link to a confirmed case of iGAS
Case classification
- Confirmed case
- Any person meeting the laboratory criteria of (1) above
OR - Any person meeting the laboratory criteria of (2) above PLUS the clinical criteria described above
- Any person meeting the laboratory criteria of (1) above
- Probable case
- Any person meeting the clinical criteria above
PLUS
- the epidemiological criteria above
OR - the clinician considers that GAS is the most likely cause
- the epidemiological criteria above
- Any person meeting the clinical criteria above
Current as of: 22 December 2022
Information, Data and Reports for Invasive Group A Streptococcal Disease (GAS)
Ireland’s specialist service for the surveillance of communicable diseases.