During the last decades, mortality rates due to S. pyogenes infections in the world’s human population have decreased, particularly where socioeconomic conditions and access to medical care have improved. Still, despite the use of antibiotics, S. pyogenes remains a leading cause of high morbidity and mortality on a global scale. According to estimates of Carapetis et al, S. pyogenes is responsible for more than 700 million cases of purulent throat and skin infections, for 150,000 lethal invasive infections, and 1.8 million new cases of immune sequelae per year. The streptococcal immune sequelae alone claim another 350,000 human lives every year. About 18 million people are estimated to suffer from the consequences of ARF.