Global research network to combat deadly Strep A infections

Press release issued: 16 February 2024

Bristol researchers are part of a newly-launched multi-institution network to research bacterial cause of sepsis and heart damage in children. Each year, around half a million people, including many children and young people, die around the world because of serious group A streptococcal (Strep A) bacterial infections. While most cases are relatively mild – affecting only the skin or throat - some infections can lead to deadly sepsis or autoimmune damage to the heart. There is currently no available vaccine for Strep A.

The newly launched iSpy Network (immunity to Streptococcus pyogenes) brings together 28 investigators from 11 countries worldwide. The network comprises experts in immunology, infectious disease, epidemiology, vaccinology and experimental medicine, and include Bristol's Professor Adam Finn.

The iSpy Network is led by Imperial College London alongside the University of California San Diego (UC San Diego), supported by funding from the Leducq Foundation.

Network members will collaborate widely – including with partners in The Gambia, South Africa, Brazil and Fiji – to gain a better understanding of the body’s immune response to Strep A and determine the most effective way to vaccinate against Strep A.

Read the full University of Bristol news item