The Risks of Invasive Group A Streptococcus in Long-Term Care
Channel: Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority
Date: 2020-04-01

JoAnn Adkins, BSN, RN, senior infection preventionist at the Patient Safety Authority, discusses the incidence of iGAS in Pennsylvania LTC facilities and ways to prevent the spread in a facility.

Invasive group A Streptococcus (iGAS) can cause severe, life-threatening illness among the elderly, particularly long-term care (LTC) residents. The incidence of iGAS infection is higher among long-term care residents than among community members of the same age, and residents who develop iGAS infections have significant morbidity and mortality risk due to advanced age, close living conditions, and comorbidities (e.g., diabetes, cardiovascular disease). Outbreaks of iGAS in LTC facilities in the United States and Canada have mortality rates of 8% to 40%. Because of the potential severity of illness, even a single case of iGAS requires public health action.