Prevalence of emm types 1 and 12 from invasive Streptococcus pyogenes disease in Greece—results of enhanced surveillance

Authors: Stathi, A.; Papaparaskevas, J.¹; Zachariadou, L.²; Pangalis, A.²; Legakis, N. J.¹; Tseleni-Kotsovili, A.¹; Tassios, P. T.¹

Source: Clinical Microbiology & Infection, Volume 14, Number 8, August 2008 , pp. 808-812(5)

Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

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Abstract:

Among a total of 101 isolates from the first systematic multicentre surveillance effort concerning invasive Streptococcus pyogenes disease in Greece, conducted between 2003 and 2005 and covering 38% of the population, emm types 1 and 12 were prevalent, being responsible for 27 and nine cases, respectively. The isolates from the remaining 65 cases were assigned to 26 other emm types. Erythromycin resistance (12 isolates) was primarily mef(A)-mediated, although all emm type 1 strains were susceptible. Tetracycline resistance, due mostly to tet(M), was detected in 26 isolates. Subtyping by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis yielded 50 chromosomal fingerprints, thus discriminating further among ten of the 28 observed emm types.

Keywords: emm typing; erythromycin; invasive diseases; PFGE; Streptococcus pyogenes

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-0691.2008.02032.x

Affiliations: 1: Department of Microbiology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens 2: Department of Microbiology, `Aghia Sophia' Children's Hospital, Athens, Greece

Publication date: 2008-08-01