STREPTOCOCCUS

A group of bacteria, familiarly known as strep, that can > (and do) cause a multitude of diseases. The name comes from the Greek strepto- meaning twisted + kokkos meaning berry, and that is exactly what Strep look like under the microscope, like a twisted bunch of little round berries. (In technical terms, these are gram-positive, facultative anaerobic cocci). Illness caused by strep includes strep throat, strep pneumonia, scarlet fever, rheumatic fever (and rheumatic heart valve damage) and > glomerulonephritis.