Molecular characterization of Streptococcus pyogenes (StrepA) non-invasive isolates during the 2022-2023 UK upsurge.

ABSTRACT: At the end of 2022 into early 2023, the UK Health Security Agency reported unusually high levels of scarlet fever and invasive disease caused by Streptococcus pyogenes (StrepA or group A Streptococcus). During this time, we collected and genome-sequenced 341 non-invasive throat and skin S. pyogenes isolates identified during routine clinical diagnostic testing in Sheffield, a large UK city. We compared the data with that obtained from a similar collection of 165 isolates from 2016 to 2017. Numbers of throat-associated isolates collected peaked in early December 2022, reflecting the national scarlet fever upsurge, while skin infections peaked later in December. The most common emm-types in 2022-2023 were emm1 (28.7 %), emm12 (24.9 %) and emm2

SUBMITTER: Hall JN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11318961 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature