Pleural empyema and streptococcal toxic shock syndrome due to Streptococcus pyogenes in a healthy Spanish traveler in Japan

Group A Streptococcus (GAS, Streptococcus pyogenes) causes invasive infections including streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS) and local infections. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a case of an invasive GAS infection with pneumonia and pleural empyema (PE) followed by STSS (disseminated intravascular coagulation [DIC] and acute renal insufficiency) in a healthy male adult. He received combined supportive therapies of PE drainage, anti-DIC agent, hemodialysis, and antimicrobials and eventually made a clinical recovery. GAS isolated from PE was found to have emm1/speA genes, suggestive of a pathogenic strain. Clinicians should be aware of the possibility of this disease entity (pneumonia, PE, and STSS) in healthy male adults as well as children and adult women.