Hardy Diagnostics, an FDA licensed and ISO certified manufacturer of medical devices for microbiological procedures, has released its latest chromogenic media, HardyCHROM Group A Strep agar. This chromogenic medium is recommended for the selective cultivation and differentiation of Group A Streptococcus (S. pyogenes) from clinical specimens. Identification can be made based on colony color without the need for confirmatory testing. This easy-to-read medium will display red-brown or red-orange colonies on HardyCHROM Group A Strep agar when Streptococcus pyogenes is present. Conversely, non-Group A Streptococcus isolates will appear as blue, clear or white colonies. 

Group A streptococcal (GAS) pathogens can produce infections ranging from throat irritation to death. GAS causes infections such as strep throat and impetigo. According to the Centers for Disease Control, these bacteria also cause approximately 11,000-24,000 cases of severe (invasive) GAS disease, such as necrotizing fasciitis, in the United States each year. Each year, about 1,200-1,900 people die due to invasive GAS disease. The disease burden in developing countries, especially due to rheumatic heart disease, is much greater.

Group A streptococcal infections can occur any time during the year. However, some infections are more common in the United States in certain seasons:

  • Strep throat and scarlet fever are more common in the winter and spring. 
  • Impetigo is more common in the summer.

Anyone can get a Group A streptococcal infection, but some infections are more common in certain age groups:

  • Strep throat and scarlet fever are most common in children between the ages of five and 15 years. 
  • Impetigo is most common in children between the ages of two and five years. 

HardyCHROM is Hardy Diagnostics’ line of chromogenic, selective and differential culture media, recommended for use in primary cultivation and isolation of microorganisms. Hardy Diagnostics was the first company to introduce chromogenic media to the United States in 1996. For more information about HardyCHROM Group A Strep Agar or any of the HardyCHROM products that identify bacteria and yeast by colony color, visit Hardy Diagnostics. 

Featured Image: HardyCHROM Group A Strep agar. Photo: Hardy Diagnostics