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Genotyping of Staphylococcus aureus by Ribosomal Spacer PCR (RS-PCR)
08:51

Genotyping of Staphylococcus aureus by Ribosomal Spacer PCR (RS-PCR)

Published on: November 4, 2016

Group A streptococcal genotypes from throat and skin isolates in the United Arab Emirates

Mubarak S Alfaresi1

  • 1Department of pathology & Laboratory medicine, Zayed Military Hospital, PO BOX 3740, Abudhabi, UAE. uaenow@emirates.net.ae.

BMC Research Notes
|April 8, 2010
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Streptococcus pyogenes, a cause of various diseases, shows genetic diversity in the UAE. This study used emm gene sequencing to analyze 38 isolates, revealing 25 distinct types and highlighting population heterogeneity.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Genetics
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Streptococcus pyogenes causes diverse human diseases, from skin infections to severe invasive conditions.
  • Accurate identification and typing of Group A Streptococcus (GAS) are crucial for disease studies.
  • emm gene sequencing is a reliable method for GAS typing, correlating closely with M serotyping.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the genetic diversity of Group A Streptococcus (GAS) isolates in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
  • To characterize GAS strains causing streptococcal diseases in the UAE using emm gene sequencing.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of 38 GAS isolates (35 throat, 3 skin) from patients in the UAE.
  • emm gene sequence analysis of the M protein gene's hypervariable region.
  • Comparison of emm types with established reference types and sequence types.

Main Results:

  • A total of 25 different emm/st types were identified among the 38 GAS isolates.
  • 53% of isolates belonged to 16 validated standard emm types.
  • 47% of isolates belonged to 9 recognized sequence types, indicating significant genetic diversity.

Conclusions:

  • This study is the first to report emm typing of GAS in the UAE.
  • The findings demonstrate considerable genetic heterogeneity within the GAS population in the UAE.
  • emm typing provides valuable insights into the epidemiology of streptococcal diseases in the region.

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