ReviewDeutsches Arzteblatt international2024
Invasive Group A Streptococcal Infections in Europe After the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Review in Deutsches Arzteblatt international, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 16 papers.
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Who cites it
16 citing papers in PubMed.
- Review
- Article
- Fatal Streptococcus pyogenes infections in Spain, Turkey, UK and Belgium after pandemics: a comprehensive case series combining microbiology with autopsy findings. A study of the ESCMID study group for forensic and post-mortem microbiology (ESGFOR).European journal of clinical microbiology & infectious diseases : official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology · 2026Article
- Primary care pharyngotonsillitis complications following absent or deferred antibiotic treatment across the COVID 19 pandemic.Communications medicine · 2026Article
- Article
- Intravenous non-specific immunoglobulins as adjunctive therapy for invasiveRevista espanola de quimioterapia : publicacion oficial de la Sociedad Espanola de Quimioterapia · 2026Observational
- Molecular Characterization ofMicroorganisms · 2026Article
- Resurgence and clinical evolution of influenza A in Chinese children: shifting epidemiology and serological dynamics across pre-, intra-, and post-pandemic eras (2019-2023).BMC infectious diseases · 2026Article
- Fulminant streptococcal toxic shock syndrome presenting as cervical epidural abscess: a case report.Journal of Yeungnam medical science · 2026Article
- Pneumococci detected in sterile body fluids of pediatric patients postpandemic trends from a single center.Antimicrobial stewardship & healthcare epidemiology : ASHE · 2026Article
- Old Bug, New Challenge: Invasive Group A Streptococcus and a Rare Pediatric Holospinal Epidural Abscess.Cureus · 2025Article
- Evidence for early circulation of the M1UK sublineage of Streptococcus pyogenes in Germany, 2015-2023.Emerging microbes & infections · 2025Article
- Molecular Characterization ofMicroorganisms · 2025Article
- Antibiotic Prescription Patterns in the Post-COVID-19 Era in Six European Countries: A Cross-Sectional Study.Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- GAS-J, a User-Friendly Browser Application for Genome Assembly, emm-Typing, MLST Typing, and Virulence Factor Gene Detection of Streptococcus pyogenes.Microbiology and immunology · 2025Article
- Post-pandemic upsurge of group A streptococcus infections: potential link to impaired herd trained immunity following COVID-19 lockdowns.Frontiers in immunology · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe incidence of airborne respiratory infections fell as a result of the protective measures taken during the COVID-19 pandemic and rose again when these were stopped. In 2022, there was a notable rise in invasive group A streptococcal (iGAS) infections in many countries, including Germany. This rise was also reflected in the data of the university otorhinolaryngology department in Ulm, Germany.
methodsThis review is based on publications retrieved by a selective literature search on the rise of iGAS infections in Europe, with particular attention to the timing of disease onset, clinical presentation, pathogenic strains, and potential causes and risk factors.
resultsThe rise in infections after the pandemic was especially marked among children up to age 10 and in older adults; in Germany, it affected all age groups equally, but predominantly persons older than 65. Rising prevalence figures were seen in Germany and elsewhere as early as the fall of 2022, outside the usual season, and peaked mainly in the first and second quarters of 2023. The increased incidence of iGAS-associated pneumonia was paralleled by that of viral airway infections and led to greater use of intensivecare measures for children. The main bacterial strain identified was emm1; a new variant (M1DK) played a role in Denmark, and an emm4 variant (M4NL22) became increasingly important in the Netherlands. In Germany, initial evidence suggested the predominance of M1UK. Increased antibiotic resistance was not found.
conclusionThe reduced confrontation of the immune system with pathogens during the pandemic, along with the increased incidence of viral airway infections immediately after it, apparently accounted for the exceptionally high post-pandemic rise in iGAS infections and the increase in invasive pulmonary diseases in Europe. Consistent vaccination programs against coincident respiratory viruses could reduce the burden of iGAS infections. The further extension of multinational surveillance programs with obligatory participation could aid in the detection of factors affecting the course of disease and the spread of new bacterial strains.
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