Group A streptococci (Streptococcus pyogenes) are probably best known for causing streptococcal pharyngitis, or strep throat. But they also cause more kinds of disease than any other species of bacteria. Group A streptococci are responsible for diseases that range from mild skin conditions to scarlet fever to rheumatic fever to the devastating and sometimes deadly necrotizing fasciitis, commonly known as flesh-eating bacteria. This revision of Streptococcus (Group A) examines the history, epidemiology, and future prospects for the ongoing battle against group A streptococci, and provides up-to-date information on research breakthroughs and the latest outbreaks of group A diseases. Updates include information on antibiotic resistance, current research on scarlet fever, and the progress on a vaccine. Chapters include: One Bacterium, Many Different Diseases Historical Overview Basic Microbiology, Diagnosis, and Treatment of the Group A Streptococcus Superficial Infections: Streptococcal Pharyngitis and Impetigo Scarlet Fever Resurgence of an Old Pathogen: Invasive Streptococcal Diseases Post-Streptococcal Complications Virulence Factors of Group A Streptococci Vaccine Prospects and the Future.