Disentangling serotype diversity and the corresponding patterns of immunity in Streptococcus pyogenes

Group A Streptococcal infections (GAS) cause a wide range of diseases: from sore throats and scarlet fever to potentially fatal invasive disease. GAS bacteria can be divided into strains. Infection produces immunity that protects against re-infection with the same strain, however we do not know if infection also provides protection against infection with a related strain, or a different strain entirely. I will use my background in mathematical modelling and learn genomic analysis skills to analyse patterns of GAS transmission and disentangle the relationship between infection and immunity. I will analyse data sets to answer important public health policy questions, including: Would routinely testing children's sore throats for GAS infection and treating them with antibiotics fight the UK scarlet fever epidemic?; Would the increased antibiotic use risk causing antibiotic resistance?; and what impact could a vaccine that have in the USA, where testing and treatment for GAS is already routine?