A Genetic-Based Evaluation of the Principal Tissue Reservoir for Group A Streptococci Isolated from Normally Sterile Sites
The primary sites of infection and principal reservoirs for transmission of group A streptococci are the nasopharyngeal mucosa and the impetigo lesion. However, pharyngitis and impetigo are rarely observed prior to invasive disease, and, thus, the origin of invasive strains is largely unknown. As pa...
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Published in | The Journal of infectious diseases Vol. 176; no. 1; pp. 177 - 182 |
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Main Authors | , , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
Chicago, IL
The University of Chicago Press
01.07.1997
University of Chicago Press |
Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | The primary sites of infection and principal reservoirs for transmission of group A streptococci are the nasopharyngeal mucosa and the impetigo lesion. However, pharyngitis and impetigo are rarely observed prior to invasive disease, and, thus, the origin of invasive strains is largely unknown. As part of an active surveillance program, group A streptococci were obtained from normally sterile tissue sites of Connecticut residents during a 6-month period. Organisms were analyzed for genetic markers that distinguish between strains that use the nasopharynx versus an impetiginous lesion as their primary site for infection. The nasopharyngeal marker was observed for most sterile-site isolates, suggesting that the upper respiratory tract is the principal reservoir from which organisms causing invasive disease are disseminated. Genotypic analyses of sterile-site isolates support the view that additional factors, aside from a recent emergence of a few virulent clones, are important contributors to invasive group A streptococcal disease. |
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Bibliography: | Reprints or correspondence: Dr. Debra Bessen, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar St., Box 208034, Dept. of Epidemiology and Public Health, New Haven, CT 06520. ark:/67375/HXZ-H3T4QNSQ-V istex:6667B2C6E2CE8E5815676D75A2C96C72ABA908F8 ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23 |
ISSN: | 0022-1899 1537-6613 |
DOI: | 10.1086/514020 |