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Group A streptococcal infection caused by emm1 strains among children in southern Taiwan

H-C Lin1, S-M Wang, Y-L Lin

  • 1Centers for Disease Control, Taipei, Taiwan.

European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases : Official Publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology
|July 4, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Molecular epidemiology of group A Streptococcus (GAS) in Taiwan revealed emm1 and emm12 as predominant strains. A shift to emm1 strains correlated with a decline in erythromycin resistance in invasive GAS infections.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Epidemiology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Group A Streptococcus (GAS) causes a range of infections, from mild pharyngitis to severe invasive diseases.
  • Understanding the molecular epidemiology of GAS is crucial for public health surveillance and intervention strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To characterize the molecular epidemiology of invasive and non-invasive group A Streptococcus (GAS) infections in children.
  • To analyze trends in emm types and antibiotic resistance in southern Taiwan from 1997 to 2004.

Main Methods:

  • Collection and analysis of 32 invasive and 150 non-invasive GAS isolates.
  • Identification of GAS emm types and assessment of erythromycin resistance.
  • Temporal analysis of isolate data from 1997 to 2004.

Main Results:

  • emm1 (34.4%) and emm12 (40.0%) were the predominant emm types in invasive and non-invasive isolates, respectively.
  • A peak incidence of invasive GAS infection (IGASI) was observed between 2002 and 2003.
  • A shift from emm4 and emm12 to emm1 strains occurred during 2002-2003, with all emm1 isolates showing clonal relatedness.
  • A decline in erythromycin resistance coincided with the rise of emm1 strains.

Conclusions:

  • The molecular epidemiology of GAS in southern Taiwan showed significant shifts in predominant emm types over the study period.
  • The emergence of clonal emm1 strains was associated with a decrease in erythromycin resistance.
  • These findings highlight the dynamic nature of GAS epidemiology and the importance of ongoing surveillance.

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