Streptococcus pyogenes is an uncommon cause of community-acquired pneumonia
and there have been few recent specific accounts of the condition. To desc
ribe the current nature of this disease in the UK, data was gathered on pat
ients with clinical pneumonia from whom Streptococcus pyogenes was cultured
principally from blood or other relevant normally sterile sites. In the Ha
rrogate and Northallerton districts of North Yorkshire, pneumonia accounted
for nine (20%) cases and a quarter of all deaths in a complete sequence of
45 patients with Streptococcus pyogenes bacteraemia detected during the 16
-year-period 1981-1996. An analysis is presented of those cases together wi
th eight recent cases from counties York, Durham and Isle of Wight during 1
995-1997. Of the total 17 cases, nine occurred in women and eight in men; t
he age range was 30-92 years. The organism was isolated from blood culture
in 15 (88%) patients. Eight (47%) patients died, five within 1 day of hospi
talisation. Fourteen (82%) cases occurred in the winter months October to M
arch, including all the fatal cases and all eight in which a clinical 'vira
l' prodrome was observed. Predisposing medical or surgical conditions were
present in 65% of the patients. Major complications included septicaemia, p
leural reaction, shock, pulmonary cavitation, osteomyelitis and metastatic
abscesses. Seven serotypes of Streptococcus pyogenes were encountered, with
M-type 1 predominating (the cause in 60% of cases). All infections were co
mmunity acquired; two small clusters of fatal pneumonia were seen.