ABSTRACT
Streptococcus is a very heterogeneous genus consisting of several different groups of bacteria causing a diversity of diseases. Frequently encountered streptococcal infections include pneumonia, otitis media, sinusitis, and pharyngitis, with less common but more severe diseases being streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS) and necrotizing fasciitis, which are potentially lethal.1,2
Since conventional laboratory techniques for diagnosis of streptococcal infections suffer from a delay of at least one day in results availability, progress has been made in the development and application of molecular methods for improved identiŠcation and differentiation of streptococcal subgroups.3
