| Category | Definition and description |
| Active infection | - Symptomatic infection caused by group A Streptococcus (GAS).
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| Persistent infection | - Symptomatic infection caused by GAS that does not resolve after appropriate antibiotic treatment. (Synonymous with treatment failure.)
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| Recurrent infection | - A new symptomatic infection with GAS that occurs after appropriate antibiotic treatment.
- Recurrent infection can be caused by the same GAS serotype that caused the initial infection or by a different serotype.
- Recurrent infections most often occur among members of the same household or in other settings (eg, schools, daycare centers) where close contact facilitates GAS transmission.
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| Chronic carriage | - Asymptomatic colonization: The persistent presence of GAS in the oropharynx in the absence of symptoms or host immune response (approximately 4 to 5% in healthy adults and 2 to 20% in children).
- Carriage can persist for months to years.
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