Abstract
Group A streptococcus (GAS) is a common cause of sore throats and skin infections in children. In rare cases the bacteria can invade deeper into the body, causing severe, life-threatening invasive GAS (iGAS). Since late 2022 the World Health Organization (WHO) has described numerous high-income countries reporting increases in cases of iGAS, with children under the age of 10 the most affected group. In Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ) a 2016 report noted that iGAS infections had increased over the previous decade.
Despite this emerging threat, and unlike other high-income countries, iGAS is not notifiable in NZ. Making iGAS notifiable would support immediate public health actions to control disease spread and provide a robust basis for effective surveillance to identify changes in iGAS incidence and distribution.