Čes-slov Pediat 2026, 81(4):205-208 | DOI: 10.55095/CSPediatrie2026/014
Invasive Streptococcus pyogenes in children - a case series
- 1 Klinika pediatrickej urgentnej medicíny, Lekárska fakulta, Univerzita Komenského, Národný ústav detských chorôb, Bratislava, Slovensko
- 2 Klinika pre deti a dorast A. Getlíka, Lekárska fakulta, Slovenská zdravotnícka univerzita a Univerzitná nemocnica Bratislava, Slovensko
Invasive Streptococcus pyogenes infections continue to pose a clinical challenge in pediatrics due to their high morbidity and mortality. The
risk of a severe course of infection is higher in young children, immunocompromised patients, and in children with a concurrent viral respiratory tract infection. In our article, we discuss a series of case reports of pediatric patients with invasive streptococcal infection. Rapid diagnosis, timely initiation of antibiotic therapy, and intensive supportive care play a key role in the
management of children with Streptococcus pyogenes infection.
Keywords: invasive streptococcus, septic shock, Streptococcus pyogenes, pediatrics
Received: February 14, 2026; Revised: February 14, 2026; Accepted: February 15, 2026; Published: June 1, 2026 Show citation
References
- Walker MJ, Barnett TC, McArthur JD, et al. Disease manifestations and pathogenic mechanisms of group A Streptococcus. Clin Microbiol Rev 2014; 27(2): 264-301.
Go to original source... 
Go to PubMed... - Carapetis JR, Steer AC, Mulholland EK, Weber M. The global burden of group A streptococcal diseases. Lancet Infect Dis 2005; 5(11): 685-94. Go to original source...
- O'Loughlin RE, Roberson A, Cieslak PR, et al. The epidemiology of invasive group A streptococcal infection and potential vaccine implications: United States, 2000-2004. Clin Infect Dis 2007; 45(7): 853-62. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
- European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Increase in invasive group A streptococcal infections among children in Europe, 2022. ECDC Rapid Risk Assessment.
- Daneman N, McGeer A, Green KA, et al. Epidemiology of invasive group A streptococcal infections in Ontario, Canada, 1992-2011. Clin Infect Dis 2013; 57(4): 481-89.
- Hazelhorst EI, Ewijk CE, Wielders CCH, et al. Risk factors for invasive group A streptococcal infection in children aged 6 months to 5 years: a case-control study, the Netherlands, February-May 2023. Epidemiol Infect 2025; 153: e57. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
- Nygaard U, Hartling UB, Munkstrup C, et al. Invasive group A streptococcal infections in children and adolescents in Denmark during 2022-23 compared with 2016-17 to 2021-22: a nationwide, multicenter, population-based cohort study. Lancet Child Adolesc Health 2024; 8(2): 112-21. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
- Vieira A, Wan Y, Ryan Y, et al. Rapid expansion and international spread of M1UK in the post-pandemic UK upsurge of Streptococcus pyogenes. Nat Commun 2024; 15(1): 3916. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
- Luca-Harari B, Darenberg J, Neal S, et al. Clinical and microbiological characteristics of severe Streptococcus pyogenes disease in Europe. J Clin Microbiol 2009; 47(4): 1155-65. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
- Ralph AP, Carapetis JR. Group A streptococcal diseases and their global burden. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol 2013; 368: 1-27.
- Brouwe S, Rivera-Hernandez T, Curren BF, et al. Pathogenesis, epidemiology and control of group A Streptococcus infection. Nat Rev Microbiol 2023; 21(7): 431-47. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
- Bryant AE, Stevens DL. Streptococcus pyogenes infections. In: Bennett JE, Dolin R, Blaser MJ, eds. Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 9th ed. Elsevier; 2020.
- Kaul R, McGeer A, Low DE, et al.; Canadian Streptococcal Study Group. Population-based surveillance for group A streptococcal necrotizing fasciitis: clinical features, prognostic indicators, and microbiologic analysis of seventy-seven cases. Am J Med 1997; 103(1): 18-24. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
- Shulman ST, et al. Clinical practice guideline for the diagnosis and management of group A streptococcal pharyngitis: 2012 update by the Infectious Diseases Society of America. Clin Infect Dis 2012; 55(10): e86-e102. Go to original source...
- De Luca M, Tripiciano C, D'Amore C, et al. Current clinical practice on the management of invasive Streptococcus pyogenes infections in children: a survey-based study. Antibiotics (Basel) 2025; 14(10): 970. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
- Garancini N, Ricci G, Ghezzi M, et al. Invasive group A streptococcal infections: are we facing a new outbreak? A case series with the experience of a single tertiary center. Ital J Pediatr 2023; 49(1): 88. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
- Wong CJ, Stevens DL. Serious group A streptococcal infections. Med Clin North Am 2013; 97(4): 721-36. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
- Linnér A, Darenberg J, Sjölin J, et al. Clinical efficacy of polyspecific intravenous immunoglobulin therapy in patients with streptococcal toxic shock syndrome: a comparative observational study. Clin Infect Dis 2014; 59(3): 386-92. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), which permits use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original publication is properly cited. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.