Group A Streptococcus is primarily a throat and skin pathogen, but it can rarely cause severe invasive infections including pneumonia and toxic shock. In influenza seasons, S. pyogenes has been identified as a fatal co-infecting pathogen; its inclusion helps detect these dangerous cases (Morris et al 2017, Borgogna & Voyich 2022).
Morris, D. E., Cleary, D. W., & Clarke, S. C. (2017). Secondary Bacterial Infections Associated with Influenza Pandemics. Frontiers in microbiology, 8, 1041. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2017.01041
Borgogna, T., & M. Voyich, J. (2022). Examining the Executioners, Influenza Associated Secondary Bacterial Pneumonia. IntechOpen. doi: 10.5772/intechopen.101666
