The Snippet of Pyogenic Streptococcus

In 1937, Sherman proposed a scheme for placing the Streptococci into four categories. These classifications were derived from phenotypic tests, group carbohydrate antigens, and hemolytic reactions. The pyogenic division, the viridans division, the lactic division, and the Enterococci were Sherman's four divisions. The beta-hemolytic strains with specific group antigens (A, B, C, E, F, and G) were part of the pyogenic division. Today's serogrouping-based identification approaches do not differ significantly from this classification of Streptococci.

Globally, there has been an increase in the number of serious, invasive human diseases brought on by specific, specialized pathogenic clones.

Almost all of these species and subspecies have been linked to illnesses in humans. It is evident that not all of the taxonomic changes have been included into the identification processes by standardized tests and commercially available devices and systems. Molecular genetic techniques must be developed before these Streptococci can be properly recognized.

Meanwhile, let's examine a few Streptococcus species from the exhaustive list and their potential clinical implications.

References

1. Koneman EW, Allen SD, Janda WM, Schreckenberger PC, Winn WC. Color Atlas and Textbook of Diagnostic Micrbiology. 5th edition. New York: JB Lipincott; 1997:33-36.

2. Patterson MJ. Streptococcus. In: Baron S, ed. Medical Microbiology. 4th ed. Galveston (TX): University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston; 1996.

3. Sitkiewicz I, Hryniewicz W. Pyogenic streptococci--danger of re-emerging pathogens. Pol J Microbiol. 2010;59(4):219-226.

4. Facklam R. What happened to the streptococci: overview of taxonomic and nomenclature changes. Clin Microbiol Rev. 2002;15(4):613-630.