While group A Streptococcus bacteria — also known as Streptococcus pyogenes or Strep A — causes many common conditions such as strep throat and skin infections, invasive group A Streptococcus infections are very dangerous and a medical emergency. It’s these invasive infections that you may have read about lately, and that you may have questions about.

Today in The Conversation Canada, John McCormick and Juan Manuel Diaz of Western University write about what might be causing the international spike in cases, how these infections spread and what symptoms to be aware of.

Group A Streptococcus can sometimes develop into invasive infections that put patients’ lives at risk, such as necrotizing fasciitis, septicemia (blood poisoning) and streptococcal toxic shock syndrome,” they write. “To generate this wide range of diseases in different parts of the body, the organism has several factors that promote infection and allow the bacteria to invade, colonize and survive in different tissues.”

Also today:

Patricia Nicholson

Health + Medicine Editor

An increase in cases of diseases caused by group A Streptococcus has been seen in several countries including Canada. (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID))

Strep A explainer: Why invasive cases are increasing, how it spreads and what symptoms to look for

John McCormick, Western University; Juan Manuel Diaz, Western University

An increase in serious illnesses caused by group A Streptococcus has recently made Strep A a growing concern in Canada and elsewhere. Here’s why and how it’s spreading, and what symptoms to look for.

Norman Jewison (left) and Lynne St. David-Jewison arrive on the red carpet at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

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Vincent Georgie, University of Windsor

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Dal Yong Jin, Simon Fraser University

‘Past Lives’ is a beautiful story of childhood crushes, and the sorrow and agony that ensues when one party sends another party away to move to another stage of his or her life.

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La Conversation Canada

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Les femmes désirent gravir les échelons des grandes entreprises. Mais pas à n’importe quel prix

Louise Champoux-Paillé, Concordia University; Anne-Marie Croteau, Concordia University

Les femmes sont de plus en plus présentes dans les fonctions de très haute direction, mais elles se retrouvent dans des fonctions dites de support, qui mènent rarement aux postes de PDG.

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