Description
Group A ß-haemolytic Streptococcus (also known as Streptococcus pyogenes) infection of the throat is one of the most common bacterial causes of acute pharyngitis and is also responsible for some skin infections such as impetigo and erysipelas. Most sore throats are caused by viral infections which clear up on their own without antibiotic treatment, which would be useless. While Strep A throat infections sometimes can go away within a few days without treatment, physicians prescribe antibiotics to prevent related complications that can be serious, such as rheumatic fever or acute glomerulonephritis
