Streptococcus is the most common bacteria found in the throat and mouth of the human body. Strep causes strep throat, of course, but has also been linked to gum disease, meningitis, pneumonia, endocartitis, and flesh-eating disease (necrotizing fasciitis). Sixty in 100,000 people get struck by invasive, severe streptococcal infections. To increase the problem, strep is barreling over our antibiotic defense.
Across the pond in the UK, the dental profession is making a move to fight streptococcus. A grant from The Wellcome Trust has been given to University of Bristol for research into how we can knock out streptococcal diseases. Led by Dr. Howard Jenkinson at the Department of Oral & Dental Science, the research team hopes to develop ways to control strep without relying on antibiotics. Read more here.