Streptococcus: An organism causing diseases beyond neglect

About the Authors: Michael F. Good * E-mail: michael.good@griffith.edu.au Affiliation: Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia ORCID logo http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8212-248X Introduction The neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are a heterogeneous group of diseases that affect some of the poorest people on the planet. The concept of NTDs was developed by Peter Hotez and colleagues to draw attention to a large group of diseases that carry significant morbidity but were largely ignored when the Millennium Development Goals were established [1]. The tropical bias for serious streptococcal diseases is due in large part to the fact that many impoverished nations are located in the tropics. [...]like the accredited NTDs, Strep A diseases are not restricted to tropical countries but closely follow poverty. Strep A diseases are amenable to control (addressing WHO Criterion #3 [Table 1]) RHD was controlled in many developed countries as a result of economic development that provided improved housing, access to primary healthcare facilities, better education, and clean water.