Group A Streptococcal diseases: Symptoms and treatment

On this page

• Symptoms of Group A streptococcal diseases
• If you become ill
• Antibiotics for Group A streptococcal diseases

Symptoms of Group A streptococcal diseases

Symptoms of non-invasive infection with Group A streptococcus (GAS) include:

• fever
• sore, painful throat
• mild skin infections, such as:
  • rash
  • sores
  • bumps
  • blisters

Invasive Group A streptococcal infections (iGAS) are rare and can cause severe symptoms, such as:

• trouble breathing (pneumonia)
• breakdown of the skin and connective tissues (necrotizing fasciitis)
• fever, unsafe drop in blood pressure, vomiting and diarrhea (toxic shock syndrome)

If you become ill

Seek medical attention if you think you have a GAS infection (non-invasive or invasive). Only your health care provider can diagnose GAS disease.

Antibiotics for Group A streptococcal diseases

Antibiotics are used to treat both invasive and non-invasive GAS diseases. Early treatment may make symptoms less severe or prevent more serious complications. If you are diagnosed with a GAS infection, you are advised to stay home for 24 hours after starting antibiotics. This will help avoid making other people sick.