ive , ▁and ▁have ▁a ▁mort ality ▁rate ▁of ▁ 2 5 %. ▁Early ▁recognition ▁and ▁treatment ▁are ▁critical ; ▁di agnostic ▁failure ▁can ▁result ▁in ▁se ps is ▁and ▁death . ▁ ▁Ep ide mi ology ▁S . ▁py ogen es ▁typically ▁colon izes ▁the ▁thro at , ▁gen ital ▁m uc osa , ▁rect um , ▁and ▁skin . ▁Of ▁health y ▁individuals , ▁ 1 % ▁to ▁ 5 % ▁have ▁thro at , ▁v ag inal , ▁or ▁rect al ▁carriage . ▁In ▁health y ▁children , ▁such ▁carriage ▁rate ▁var ies ▁from ▁ 2 % ▁to ▁ 1 7 %. ▁There ▁are ▁four ▁methods ▁for ▁the ▁transmission ▁of ▁this ▁b acter ium : ▁in hal ation ▁of ▁resp ir atory ▁dro ple ts , ▁skin ▁contact , ▁contact ▁with ▁objects , ▁surface , ▁or ▁dust ▁that ▁is ▁cont amin ated ▁with ▁b acter ia ▁or , ▁less ▁commonly , ▁transmission ▁through ▁food . ▁Such ▁b acter ia ▁can ▁cause ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁dise ases ▁such ▁as ▁stre pt oc oc cal ▁ph ary ng itis , ▁r he um atic ▁fe ver , ▁r he um atic ▁heart ▁disease , ▁and ▁scar let ▁fe ver . ▁Although ▁ph ary ng itis ▁is ▁mostly ▁vir al ▁in ▁origin , ▁about ▁ 1 5 ▁to ▁ 3 0 % ▁of ▁all ▁ph ary ng itis ▁cases ▁in ▁children ▁are ▁caused ▁by ▁G AS ; ▁mean while , ▁ 5 ▁to ▁ 2 0 % ▁of ▁ph ary ng itis ▁in