Bacterial toxic-shock syndrome

Definition

Bacterial toxic shock syndrome (TSS) is a potentially fatal, acute disease characterized by a sudden onset of high fever along with nausea, myalgia, vomiting and multisystem organ involvement, potentially leading to shock and death. TSS is mediated by superantigenic toxins, usually caused by an infection with Staphylococcus aureus in staphylococcal TSS or Streptococcus pyogenes in streptococcal TSS.