Incidence and Characteristics of Scarlet Fever, South Korea, 2008-2015

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Epidemiology
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Scarlet fever, a disease caused by group A Streptococcus (GAS), presents a growing public health challenge in South Korea.
• Understanding the prevalent GAS strains and their antimicrobial resistance patterns is crucial for effective disease management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the epidemiological trends of scarlet fever in South Korea between 2008 and 2015.
• To characterize the emm types and exotoxin profiles of circulating GAS isolates.
• To assess the antimicrobial susceptibility of GAS isolates, focusing on emerging resistance patterns.

Main Methods:

• Collection and analysis of group A Streptococcus isolates from South Korea between 2008 and 2015.
• emm and exotoxin genotyping to identify specific GAS strains.
• Disk-diffusion antimicrobial susceptibility testing to evaluate resistance.

Main Results:

• Scarlet fever in South Korea was predominantly associated with emm types emm4, emm28, emm1, and emm3.
• A significant increase in tetracycline resistance among GAS isolates was observed starting in 2015.
• Specific emm types showed varying degrees of association with the observed resistance patterns.

Conclusions:

• The rising incidence of scarlet fever in South Korea is linked to specific emm types of group A Streptococcus.
• Emerging tetracycline resistance in 2015 poses a potential challenge for scarlet fever treatment.
• Continued surveillance of GAS epidemiology and antimicrobial resistance is essential for public health.