At the end of 2022, the World Health Organization reported an increase in group A Streptococcus (GAS) infections, such as scarlet fever, in multiple countries. The outbreak primarily affected children under 10 years old, and the number of deaths was higher than anticipated, causing international concern. This paper reviews the current state of the GAS disease outbreak, its causes, and response measures. The authors aim to draw attention from clinical workers in China and increase their awareness and vigilance regarding this epidemic. Healthcare workers should be aware of the potential epidemiological changes in infectious diseases that may arise after the optimization of control measures for coronavirus disease 2019 to ensure children's health.
Child ; Humans ; Streptococcus pyogenes ; COVID-19/epidemiology* ; Streptococcal Infections/epidemiology* ; Scarlet Fever/epidemiology* ; Epidemics ; Disease Outbreaks

Currently, the main strategy for preventing neonatal group B Streptococcus (GBS) infection is prenatal screening combined with intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis, which has effectively reduced the incidence of neonatal GBS early-onset disease. However, the burden of GBS infection is still significant. The intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis strategy has limitations such as inducing antibiotic resistance and inability to effectively prevent GBS late-onset disease. It is crucial to develop and evaluate other prevention strategies, while paying close attention to assessing penicillin allergy in pregnant women and how to prevent GBS infection in neonates with negative maternal GBS screening. In recent years, there has been some progress in GBS vaccines and related immunological research, and the use of specific vaccines is expected to significantly reduce GBS infection in neonates.
Female ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Pregnancy ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use* ; Antibiotic Prophylaxis ; Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical/prevention & control* ; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious/epidemiology* ; Streptococcal Infections/drug therapy* ; Streptococcus agalactiae

Objective: To analyze the characteristics of super-antigen (SAg) of group A Streptococcus pyogenes (GAS), isolated from patients with scarlet fever or pharyngeal infections in Beijing between 2015-2017. Methods: Throat swab specimens from patients with scarlet fever or pharyngeal infections were collected and tested for GAS. Eleven currently known SAg genes including SpeA, speC, speG, speH, speI, speJ, speK, speL, speM, smeZ and ssa were tested by real-time PCR while M protein genes (emm genes) were amplified and sequenced by PCR. Results: A total of 377 GAS were isolated from 6 801 throat swab specimens, with the positive rate as 5.5%. There were obvious changes noticed among speC, speG, speH and speK in three years. A total of 45 SAg genes profiles were observed, according to the SAgs inclusion. There were significant differences appeared in the frequencies among two of the highest SAg genes profiles between emm1 and emm12 strains (χ(2)=38.196, P<0.001; χ(2)=72.310, P<0.001). There also appeared significant differences in the frequencies of speA, speH, speI and speJ between emm1 and emm12 strains (χ(2)=146.154, P<0.001; χ(2)=52.31, P<0.001; χ(2)=58.43, P<0.001; χ(2)=144.70, P<0.001). Conclusions: Obvious changes were noticed among SAg genes including speC, speG, speH and speK from patients with scarlet fever or pharyngeal infections in Beijing between 2015-2017. SAg genes including speA, speH, speI and speJ appeared to be associated with the emm 1 and emm 12 strains. More kinds of SAg genes profiles were isolated form GAS but with no significant differences seen in the main SAg genes profiles, during the epidemic period.
Antigens, Bacterial/genetics* ; Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins ; Bacterial Proteins ; Beijing/epidemiology* ; China/epidemiology* ; Exotoxins ; Female ; Humans ; Membrane Proteins ; Pharyngitis/microbiology* ; Pharynx/microbiology* ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious/microbiology* ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Scarlet Fever/microbiology* ; Streptococcal Infections ; Streptococcus pyogenes/isolation & purification* ; Superantigens/genetics*

In recent years, group B streptococcus (GBS) has become an important pathogen that causes infections in many neonatal organs, including the brain, lung, and eye (Ballard et al., 2016). A series of studies performed on GBS infections in western countries have revealed that GBS is one of the primary pathogens implicated in perinatal infection, and GBS infections are a major cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality in the United States (Decheva et al., 2013). In China, GBS is mainly found by screens for adult urogenital tract and perinatal infections, and neonatal GBS infections have been rarely reported. The incidence rate of early-onset neonatal GBS disease is thought to be lower in China than in western countries; however, this data is controversial since it also reflects the clinical interest in GBS (Dabrowska-Szponar and Galinski, 2001).
Adult ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use* ; China/epidemiology* ; Drug Resistance ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Mothers ; Parity ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious/diagnosis* ; Risk Factors ; Streptococcal Infections/drug therapy* ; Streptococcus agalactiae

Animals ; Humans ; Incidence ; Singapore ; epidemiology ; Streptococcal Infections ; epidemiology ; transmission ; Zoonoses ; epidemiology ; transmission

BACKGROUND: We determined the epidemiological characteristics of erythromycin (EM)-resistant Streptococcus pyogenes (group A streptococci, GAS) strains isolated from Korea and Japan, using emm genotyping and multilocus sequence typing (MLST). METHODS: Clinical isolates of GAS had been collected from 1992 to 2012 in Korea and from 2004 to 2009 in Japan. EM resistance was determined by the microdilution method, and resistance genotypes were assessed by PCR. The emm genotyping and MLST were performed by DNA sequencing. RESULTS: The emm genotypes and sequence types (STs) were concordant in 143 (85.1%) of 168 EM-resistant GAS strains from Korea. ST36/emm12 (35.1%), ST52/emm28 (22.6%), and ST49/emm75 (16.1%) were the most common types. Most of the ST36 (93.9%) and ST52 (95.8%) strains harbored erm(B), whereas strains ST49, ST42, and ST15 contained mef(A). The concordance between emm genotypes and STs was 41 (93.2%) among 44 EM-resistant GAS strains from Japan. ST36/emm12 (34.1%), ST49/emm75 (18.2%), and ST28/emm1 (15.9%) were the major types. ST36 isolates harbored either erm(B) (56.3%) or mef(A) (37.5%), whereas isolates ST28, ST49, and ST38 carried only mef(A). The proportion of erm(B) and mef(A) was 66.1% and 33.3% in Korea and 22.7% and 68.2% in Japan, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The common STs in Korea and Japan were ST36 and ST49, whereas ST52 was present only in Korea and ST28 only in Japan. Genotype erm(B) was predominant in Korea, whereas mef(A) was frequent in Japan. There were differences between Korea and Japan regarding the frequencies of emm genotypes, STs, and EM resistance genes among the EM-resistant GAS.
Anti-Bacterial Agents/*pharmacology/therapeutic use ; Bacterial Proteins/*genetics ; Bacterial Typing Techniques ; *Drug Resistance, Bacterial ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Erythromycin/*pharmacology/therapeutic use ; Genotype ; Humans ; Japan/epidemiology ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Multilocus Sequence Typing ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Streptococcal Infections/drug therapy/*microbiology ; Streptococcus pyogenes/drug effects/*genetics/isolation & purification

PURPOSE: The incidence of acute poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis (APSGN) in Korea has changed. This study aimed to evaluate the epidemiological and clinical changes of APSGN observed in a single Korean institution over two decades. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the data of 99 children (0-15 years of age) who were admitted to our institution with APSGN between 1987 and 2013. The patients were selected based on the depression of serum complement 3 (C3, <70 mg/dL) and elevated titer of antistreptolysin O (ASO, >250 IU/dL) as evidence of previous streptococcal infection. RESULTS: In the 99 patients, the mean age was 8.3 +/- 2.7 years, and the male-tofemale ratio was 2.2:1 (66:30). The annual number of cases fluctuated markedly, and most cases were observed during the late autumn and winter months. However, there have been few cases reported in the past 5 years. Clinical manifestations at presentation, including hypertension and generalized oedema, and the duration of hospitalization were higher and longer in patients admitted during the first half of the study period than during the most recent half-period, suggesting a more severe clinical course in the former group. CONCLUSIONS: APSGN has become a rare disease in Korea with a trend towards a less severe clinical course. This finding suggests that the prevalence of infection-related immune-mediated diseases could change over-time, together with environmental and possibly pathogen-host relationship changes.
Antistreptolysin ; Child ; Complement C3 ; Depression ; Epidemiology ; Glomerulonephritis* ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Incidence ; Korea ; Prevalence ; Rare Diseases ; Retrospective Studies ; Streptococcal Infections

Streptococcal Infections ; epidemiology ; Streptococcus pyogenes ; genetics ; pathogenicity

OBJECTIVEGroup A β-hemolytic streptococcus (GAS) or Streptococcus pyogenes may be encountered in diverse clinical situations in children. A rising incidence of invasive group A streptococcus (IGAS) infections has been noted in children in the past three decades. The aim of this study was to summarize the clinical characteristics and antimicrobial resistance of IGAS in children, and to raise the level of diagnosis and treatment of this infection.

METHODThe clinical data from 19 cases of IGAS younger than 14 years old seen from January 2004 to December 2011 treated in the authors' hospital were analyzed. IGAS infections are defined as the isolation of GAS from a normally sterile site in patients.

RESULTThe 19 cases were identified as IGAS infections, among whom 15 were male and 4 were female, and the ratio of them was 3.75. The age ranged from 1 day to 14 years, with a median age of 4 years. The course of disease was 4 h-10 days. The average length of stay was 12.2 days. In 13 cases the episodes of the infection occurred in winter and spring. In 18 cases the infection was community-acquired. Overall, 10 cases had neck or foot dorsum abscess, four cases had purulent peritonitis, and 3 cases were diagnosed as streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS) complicated with empyema, pyopneumothorax occurred in 1 case and neonatal septicemia in another. Three cases had an underlying disease, including 2 cases wounded in a car accident and 1 case of congenital esophageal atresia and tracheoesophageal fistula. Before the isolation of GAS, 5 cases had stayed in ICUs, the length of ICU stay was 1-32 days, 4 cases had received intubation and mechanical ventilation, the ventilation time was 8 h-24 days, 2 cases had received major surgery; 5 cases had other pathogen coinfection, including 4 cases of abdominal pus at the same time and Escherichia coli was isolated, and 1 case had parainfluenza virus type I coinfection. Peripheral blood leucocyte increased in 18 cases, one case dropped off. The C-reactive protein (CRP) levels increased in all patients, including 16 cases who had 14-160 mg/L, 3 cases had levels higher than 160 mg/L. Twenty strains of GAS were isolated from 19 cases' sterile sites, of them 10 strains were isolated from abscess, 4 strains were isolated from blood and another 4 from ascites. Two strains were from the same patient at different times of pleural effusion. All 20 strains displayed a full susceptibility to cefazolin, levofloxacin and vancomycin, and the rates of resistance to both cefotaxime and penicillin were 10.0%. The rates of resistance to erythromycin and clindamycin were 55.0% and 70.0% respectively. Among the patients 3 cases were cured, 14 cases improved, and 2 cases died, of whom 1 case died of STSS secondary to multiple organ dysfunction, 1 case died of basic disease secondary to multiple organ dysfunction.

CONCLUSIONSkin and soft tissues were the most common IGAS infection sites in children, and IGAS infection also can lead to serious STSS and even can be life threatening. Penicillin and cephalosporin are still sensitive for children IGAS infections.

Abscess ; drug therapy ; epidemiology ; microbiology ; Adolescent ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Cephalosporins ; therapeutic use ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Clindamycin ; therapeutic use ; Community-Acquired Infections ; drug therapy ; epidemiology ; microbiology ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Retrospective Studies ; Soft Tissue Infections ; drug therapy ; epidemiology ; microbiology ; Streptococcal Infections ; drug therapy ; epidemiology ; microbiology ; Streptococcus pyogenes ; drug effects ; isolation & purification

OBJECTIVETo investigate the genetic features of drug resistance to group A streptococcus(GAS) and macrolides antibiotics among pediatric patients in Beijing 2012.

METHODSA total of 199 strains of GAS were collected from 36 hospitals in Beijing between May and July, 2012. All strains were isolated from oropharyngeal swabs. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of ten antibiotics (penicillin, ampicillin, erythromycin, clindamycin, tetracycline, levofloxacin, tigecycline, vancomycin, linezolid and streptogramin) were detected by VITEK-2 compact with GPS-67 test kit. The genes encoding macrolides resistance (ermA, ermB and mefA ) were amplified and tested by PCR. The macrolides resistant phenotype of group A streptococcus was detected by double disc test (D-test).

RESULTSAmong 199 strains of GAS collected in this study, 101(50.8%) were from suburbs and the other 98(49.2%) were from urban areas. 111(55.8%) strains were collected from scarlet fever patients while the other 88(44.2%) were from oropharyngeal infection cases. All the strains were sensitive to penicillin and ampicillin, and the percentage of resistance to erythromycin, clindamycin and tetracycline were 96.5% (192/199), 95.5% (190/199) and 92.0% (183/199), respectively. All strains were susceptible to levofloxacin, tigecycline, vancomycin, linezolid and streptogramin. The rates of resistance to erythromycin, clindamycin and tetracycline were different in different districts, however, the difference in it between ages and clinical diagnosis did not show statistical significance (P > 0.05) . The detected rate of drug resistance gene ermB was 98.5% (196/199). The gene ermA was only detected out in 5 strains and the gene mefA was not detected out. 199 strains showed A macrolides resistant phenotype cMLS, while the phenotype iMLS was not found in this study.

CONCLUSIONThis study demonstrates the high level of clindamycin resistance in group A streptococcus collected from children in Beijing, 2012. The macrolides resistance of group A streptococcus was highly prevalent in Beijing, and the dominant phenotype was cMLS mediated by gene ermB.

Anti-Bacterial Agents ; pharmacology ; Bacterial Proteins ; genetics ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; epidemiology ; Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial ; genetics ; Genotype ; Humans ; Macrolides ; pharmacology ; Streptococcal Infections ; epidemiology ; microbiology ; Streptococcus pyogenes ; drug effects ; genetics ; isolation & purification