Cluster of fatal group a streptococcal emm87 infections in a single family: Molecular basis for invasion and transmission

Anthony R. Flores, Ruth Ann Luna, Jessica K. Runge, Samuel A. Shelburne, Carol J. Baker

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

14 Scopus citations

Abstract

Hypervirulent disease due to group A Streptococcus (GAS) can result from strains with mutations that enhance virulence gene expression but reduce subsequent transmission. We used whole-genome sequencing to investigate intrafamilial spread among 4 siblings of infection due to a hypervirulent GAS strain that resulted in a fatality. All invasive and pharyngeal GAS isolates had an identical mutation in a gene encoding a key regulatory protein that yielded a hyperinvasive phenotype. These data challenge the prevailing theory of reduced transmission induced by mutations that lead to hypervirulent GAS by showing that spread of hypervirulent GAS may lead to clusters of invasive disease.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1648-1652
Number of pages5
JournalJournal of Infectious Diseases
Volume215
Issue number11
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 1 2017

Keywords

  • Bacterial pathogenesis
  • Group A Streptococcus
  • Transmission
  • Virulence
  • Whole genome sequencing

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Immunology and Allergy
  • Infectious Diseases

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