Abstract/Text: The group A streptococcus causes the widest range of disease in humans of all bacterial pathogens. Group A streptococcal diseases are more common in children than adults with diseases ranging from pharyngitis and impetigo to invasive infections and the post-streptococcal sequelae--acute rheumatic fever and acute post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis. The global burden of severe group A streptococcal disease is concentrated largely in developing countries and Indigenous populations such as Aboriginal Australians. Control of group A streptococcal disease is poor in these settings and the need for a vaccine has been argued. With an ever-increasing understanding of the group A streptococcus at a molecular level, new and sophisticated vaccines are currently in human trials and the next decade holds exciting prospects for curbing group A streptococcal diseases.

Abstract/Text: Post-streptococcal acute glomerulonephritis (PSAGN) is one of the most important and intriguing conditions in the discipline of pediatric nephrology. Although the eventual outcome is excellent in most cases, PSAGN remains an important cause of acute renal failure and hospitalization for children in both developed and underdeveloped areas. The purpose of this review is to describe both the typical and less common clinical features of PSAGN, to outline the changes in the epidemiology of PSAGN over the past 50 years, and to explore studies on the pathogenesis of the condition with an emphasis on the search for the elusive nephritogenic antigen.