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Clonal structure of invasive Streptococcus pyogenes in Northern Scotland

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 May 2009

M. Upton ,
P. E. Carter ,
M. Morgana ,
G. F. Edwards  and
T. H. Pennington
M. Upton
Affiliation:
Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Aberdeen Medical School, Foresterhill, Aberdeen AB9 2ZD, UK
P. E. Carter
Affiliation:
Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Aberdeen Medical School, Foresterhill, Aberdeen AB9 2ZD, UK
M. Morgana*
Affiliation:
Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Aberdeen Medical School, Foresterhill, Aberdeen AB9 2ZD, UK
G. F. Edwards
Affiliation:
Department of Medical Microbiology, Glasgow Royal Infirmary, G4 0SF, UK
T. H. Pennington*
Affiliation:
Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Aberdeen Medical School, Foresterhill, Aberdeen AB9 2ZD, UK
*
† Current address: Microbiology Department. Monklands Hospital. Airdrie. Lanarkshire. ML6 0JS.
* Correspondence and requests for reprints to Prof. T. H. Pennington.
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We have used molecular techniques to characterize 51 group A streptococci from Scotland and 17 ‘serious disease’ isolates from other countries, in order to establish the clonal structure of invasive Streptococcus pyogenes strains circulating between 1986 and 1993. Strains were grouped by restriction endonuclease analysis, pulsed field gel electrophoresis and ribotyping patterns, and were examined for the presence of alleles of the speA gene by polymerase chain reaction and DNA sequence analysis. Serious and fatal infections in Scotland were caused by several clones. One clone (9 of 51 strains) was M type 1 and possessed the speA gene allele 2. This was the clone previously identified as causing severe infection in the USA. Another clone (5 of 51 strains) was M type 3 and had speA gene allele 3. In view of the clear association of more than one clone with severe, invasive and fatal infections, horizontal gene exchange between genotypes merits further investigation.

Type
Research Article
Information
Epidemiology & Infection , Volume 115 , Issue 2 , October 1995 , pp. 231 - 241
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1995

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