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STREPTOCOCCAL TOXIC SHOCK SYNDROME From the common cold to tuberculosis, there have been many infectious diseases throughout history. Advances in medicine have developed cures or vaccines for a lot of these diseases, and researchers are working continuously on the others. Aside from these diseases, some of which are deadly, there are other health problems that can threaten one’s life, such as cancer or cardiovascular disease. With most of these diseases or health conditions, doctors know what causes it, if it is contagious, who may be at risk, and have time to diagnose the condition to at least give the patient, family and friends, some time to accept the end result. An exception to this is a disease called streptococcal toxic shock syndrome. Streptococcal toxic shock syndrome or STSS is a rare but often times fatal disease. STSS develops from certain bacteria of group A streptococci or GAS, which is a bacteria that is commonly found in the throat or on the skin. Most of the time, GAS infections are relatively mild illnesses such as strep throat, but, if these bacteria reach parts of the body where they are usually not found, such as the blood, muscles or lungs, the resulting infection is called “invasive group A strep”