Dot gov

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

HTTPS

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock () or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Toxic Shock Syndrome

General Information

Toxic shock syndrome (TSS) is a serious illness most often caused by the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus and less commonly Streptococcus pyogenes (group A Streptococcus) both of which can produce "toxins." TSS was first recognized in 1978 and was later associated with tampon use in adolescents and young menstruating women in the majority of those cases. TSS is now known to be associated with other risk factors such as surgical wounds and childbirth.

Toxic shock syndrome fact sheet, P-42096 (PDF)

Group A streptococcal infections (GAS) CDC

Provider Information

This is a Wisconsin disease surveillance category II disease:

Wisconsin case reporting and public health follow-up guidelines

Questions about Toxic Shock Syndrome? Contact us!
Phone: 608-267-9003 | Fax: 608-267-9009

Wisconsin Local Health DepartmentsRegional officesTribal agencies

Last revised October 7, 2021