{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,2]],"date-time":"2026-10-02T18:47:42Z","timestamp":1790966862130,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":30,"publisher":"Microbiology Society","issue":"8","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2006,8,1]]},"abstract":"Since the mid-1980s, there has been a resurgence of severe forms of invasive group A streptococcal (GAS) disease in many countries and regions. However, there has not been any systemic epidemiologic analysis of GAS disease reported in mainland China. To analyse the molecular epidemiology of GAS disease, 86 strains from patients in different regions of mainland China were collected. The collection sites included blood, pus, wounds, the epipharynx and other sites. A total of 21 different emm<\/jats:italic> types were identified in the isolates. In both invasive and non-invasive isolates, M1 (29.1\u200a%) and M12 (23.3\u200a%) were the most prevalent types, a different distribution to M type distributions reported in other countries. Furthermore, minor emm<\/jats:italic> gene sequence alterations were noted for six types. Several important GAS virulence factors were detected by PCR using specific primers. The speB<\/jats:italic> and slo<\/jats:italic> genes were detected in all isolates and were species specific. Four superantigen genes, speA<\/jats:italic>, speC<\/jats:italic>, smeZ<\/jats:italic> and ssa<\/jats:italic>, were found in 52\u200a% (45\/86), 51\u200a% (44\/86), 82\u200a% (71\/86) and 23\u200a% (27\/86) of isolates, respectively. M1 isolates harboured more speA<\/jats:italic> (84\u200a%) and fewer speC<\/jats:italic> genes (44\u200a%), while M12 isolates had fewer speA<\/jats:italic> (35\u200a%) and more speC<\/jats:italic> genes (100\u200a%). There was also an association between some virulence genes and isolation sites, perhaps due to the correlation between the emm<\/jats:italic> type distribution and virulence gene occurrence. For two important virulence genes related to necrotizing fasciitis, the sil<\/jats:italic> gene was only carried by 11 of 86 isolates, and no sil<\/jats:italic> gene contained the start codon ATA. The sla<\/jats:italic> gene rarely occurred in GAS isolates, only four of 86 GAS strains being positive, including two isolates obtained from blood. In antimicrobial susceptibility tests, the overall rate of drug resistance in GAS isolates was higher than reported rates in other countries, and the resistance rates to erythromycin, tetracycline and clindamycin were 91.8, 93.4 and 80\u200a%, respectively. This epidemiological study may help to understand the pathogenesis of GAS disease and aid in vaccine development.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1099\/jmm.0.46243-0","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2006,7,18]],"date-time":"2006-07-18T23:08:08Z","timestamp":1153264088000},"page":"1101-1107","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":39,"title":["Epidemiological analysis of group A streptococci recovered from patients in China"],"prefix":"10.1099","volume":"55","author":[{"given":"Hong-bo","family":"Jing","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, The Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, no. 20 Dongda Street, Fengtai District, Beijing, 100071, People's Republic of China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Boa-an","family":"Ning","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, The Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, no. 20 Dongda Street, Fengtai District, Beijing, 100071, People's Republic of China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Huai-jie","family":"Hao","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, The Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, no. 20 Dongda Street, Fengtai District, Beijing, 100071, People's Republic of China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yu-ling","family":"Zheng","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, The Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, no. 20 Dongda Street, Fengtai District, Beijing, 100071, People's Republic of China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Dong","family":"Chang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"304 Hospital, Haidian District, Beijing, 100037, People's Republic of China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Wei","family":"Jiang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"304 Hospital, Haidian District, Beijing, 100037, People's Republic of China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yong-qiang","family":"Jiang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, The Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, no. 20 Dongda Street, Fengtai District, Beijing, 100071, People's Republic of China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"345","reference":[{"key":"R1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"515","DOI":"10.1016\/S0966-842X(02)02461-7","article-title":"The fundamental contribution of phages to GAS evolution, genome diversification and strain emergence","volume":"10","author":"Banks","year":"2002","journal-title":"Trends Microbiol"},{"key":"R2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"7079","DOI":"10.1128\/IAI.71.12.7079-7086.2003","article-title":"Prophage induction and expression of prophage-encoded virulence factors in group A streptococcus serotype M3 strain MGAS315","volume":"71","author":"Banks","year":"2003","journal-title":"Infect Immun"},{"key":"R3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2999","DOI":"10.1128\/AAC.44.11.2999-3002.2000","article-title":"In vitro activity of the new ketolide telithromycin compared with those of macrolides against Streptococcus pyogenes : influences of resistance mechanisms and methodological factors","volume":"44","author":"Bemer-Melchior","year":"2000","journal-title":"Antimicrob Agents Chemother"},{"key":"R4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"10078","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.152298499","article-title":"Genome sequence of a serotype M3 strain of group A Streptococcus : phage-encoded toxins, the high-virulence phenotype and clone emergence","volume":"99","author":"Beres","year":"2002","journal-title":"Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A"},{"key":"R5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"191","DOI":"10.1016\/S1473-3099(03)00576-0","article-title":"Molecular basis of group A streptococcal virulence","volume":"3","author":"Bisno","year":"2003","journal-title":"Lancet Infect Dis"},{"key":"R6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1440","DOI":"10.1128\/IAI.69.3.1440-1443.2001","article-title":"Induction of lysogenic bacteriophage and phage-associated toxin from group A streptococci during coculture with human pharyngeal cells","volume":"69","author":"Broudy","year":"2001","journal-title":"Infect Immun"},{"key":"R7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1220","DOI":"10.1093\/clinids\/21.5.1220","article-title":"Increasing severity of invasive group A streptococcal disease in Australia: clinical and molecular epidemiological features and identification of a new virulent M-non-typeable clone","volume":"21","author":"Carapetis","year":"1995","journal-title":"Clin Infect Dis"},{"key":"R8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3523","DOI":"10.1128\/IAI.68.6.3523-3534.2000","article-title":"Genetic relatedness and superantigen expression in group A streptococcus serotype M1 isolates from patients with severe and non-severe invasive diseases","volume":"68","author":"Chatellier","year":"2000","journal-title":"Infect Immun"},{"key":"R9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3998","DOI":"10.1128\/JCM.42.9.3998-4006.2004","article-title":"Epidemiology and molecular characterization of Streptococcus pyogenes recovered from scarlet fever patients in Central Taiwan from 1996 to 1999","volume":"42","author":"Chiou","year":"2004","journal-title":"J Clin Microbiol"},{"key":"R10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"7187","DOI":"10.1128\/IAI.69.11.7187-7189.2001","article-title":"Effect of speB and EndoS from Streptococcus pyogenes on human immunoglobulins","volume":"69","author":"Collin","year":"2001","journal-title":"Infect Immun"},{"key":"R11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"470","DOI":"10.1128\/CMR.13.3.470","article-title":"Pathogenesis of group A streptococcal infections","volume":"13","author":"Cunningham","year":"2000","journal-title":"Clin Microbiol Rev"},{"key":"R12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2144","DOI":"10.1128\/AAC.43.9.2144","article-title":"Prevalence and mechanisms of macrolide resistance in clinical isolates of group A streptococci from Ontario, Canada","volume":"43","author":"Deazavedo","year":"1999","journal-title":"Antimicrob Agents Chemother"},{"key":"R13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3068","DOI":"10.1128\/JB.171.6.3068-3073.1989","article-title":"Bacteriophage association of streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin type C","volume":"171","author":"Goshorn","year":"1989","journal-title":"J Bacteriol"},{"key":"R14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"87","DOI":"10.1046\/j.1365-2958.2002.03127.x","article-title":"A locus of group A streptococcus involved in invasive disease and DNA transfer","volume":"46","author":"Hidalgo-Grass","year":"2002","journal-title":"Mol Microbiol"},{"key":"R15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"696","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(04)15643-2","article-title":"Effect of a bacterial pheromone peptide on host chemokine degradation in group A streptococcal necrotizing soft-tissue infections","volume":"363","author":"Hidalgo-Grass","year":"2004","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"R16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"937","DOI":"10.1128\/JCM.41.3.937-942.2003","article-title":"Epidemiologic analysis of invasive and noninvasive group A streptococcal isolates in Hong Kong","volume":"41","author":"Ho","year":"2003","journal-title":"J Clin Microbiol"},{"key":"R17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"31","DOI":"10.1093\/infdis\/166.1.31","article-title":"Aspects of pathogenesis of serious group A streptococcal infections in Sweden, 1988\u20131989","volume":"166","author":"Holm","year":"1992","journal-title":"J Infect Dis"},{"key":"R18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3227","DOI":"10.1128\/IAI.70.6.3227-3233.2002","article-title":"Dissemination of the phage-associated novel superantigen gene sepL in recent invasive and noninvasive Streptococcus pyogenes M3\/T3 isolates in Japan","volume":"70","author":"Ikebe","year":"2002","journal-title":"Infect Immun"},{"key":"R19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"18","DOI":"10.1016\/S0002-9343(97)00160-5","article-title":"Population-based surveillance for group A Streptococcal necrotizing fasciitis, clinical features, prognostic indicators, and microbiologic analysis of seventy-seven cases","volume":"103","author":"Kaul","year":"1997","journal-title":"Am J Med"},{"key":"R20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"992","DOI":"10.1086\/516540","article-title":"& 7 other authors","volume":"176","author":"Kiska","year":"1997","journal-title":"J Infect Dis"},{"key":"R21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"411","DOI":"10.1128\/CMR.8.3.411","article-title":"Bacterial pyrogenic exotoxins as superantigens","volume":"8","author":"Kotb","year":"1995","journal-title":"Clin Microbiol Rev"},{"key":"R22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1769","DOI":"10.1128\/JCM.36.6.1769-1771.1998","article-title":"Diagnosis of group A streptococcal necrotizing fasciitis by using PCR to amplify the streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin B gene","volume":"36","author":"Louie","year":"1998","journal-title":"J Clin Microbiol"},{"key":"R23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"994","DOI":"10.1128\/IAI.63.3.994-1003.1995","article-title":"Genetic diversity and relationships among S treptococcus pyogenes strains expressing serotype M1 protein: recent international spread of a subclone causing episodes of invasive disease","volume":"63","author":"Musser","year":"1995","journal-title":"Infect Immun"},{"key":"R24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"45909","DOI":"10.1074\/jbc.M405434200","article-title":"Analysis of a novel prophage-encoded group A streptococcus extracellular phospholipase A2","volume":"279","author":"Nagiec","year":"2004","journal-title":"J Biol Chem"},{"key":"R25","first-page":"268","article-title":"& 8 other authors","volume":"35","author":"O'Brien","year":"2002","journal-title":"Clin Infect Dis"},{"key":"R26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"339","DOI":"10.1128\/AAC.45.1.339-341.2001","article-title":"Prevalence and mechanisms of macrolide resistance in Streptococcus pyogenes in Santiago, Chile","volume":"45","author":"Palavecino","year":"2001","journal-title":"Antimicrob Agents Chemother"},{"key":"R27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1578","DOI":"10.1086\/379230","article-title":"Toxin-gene profile heterogeneity among endemic invasive European group A streptococcal isolates","volume":"188","author":"Schmitz","year":"2003","journal-title":"J Infect Dis"},{"key":"R28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"4941","DOI":"10.1128\/JCM.41.11.4941-4949.2003","article-title":"Site-specific manifestations of invasive group A streptococcal disease: type distribution and corresponding patterns of virulence determinants","volume":"41","author":"Vlaminckx","year":"2003","journal-title":"J Clin Microbiol"},{"key":"R29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3944","DOI":"10.1128\/IAI.70.7.3944-3947.2002","article-title":"Cysteine protease activity and histamine release from the human mast cell line HMC-1 stimulated by recombinant streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin B\/streptococcal cysteine protease","volume":"70","author":"Watanabe","year":"2002","journal-title":"Infect Immun"},{"key":"R30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"161","DOI":"10.1007\/BF00293833","article-title":"Molecular characterization of new group A streptococcal bacteriophages containing the gene for streptococcal erythrogenic toxin A ( sepA )","volume":"231","author":"Yu","year":"1991","journal-title":"Mol Gen Genet"}],"container-title":["Journal of Medical Microbiology"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.microbiologyresearch.org\/content\/journal\/jmm\/10.1099\/jmm.0.46243-0?crawler=true","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2020,9,23]],"date-time":"2020-09-23T03:34:52Z","timestamp":1600832092000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.microbiologyresearch.org\/content\/journal\/jmm\/10.1099\/jmm.0.46243-0"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2006,8,1]]},"references-count":30,"journal-issue":{"issue":"8","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2006,8,1]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1099\/jmm.0.46243-0","relation":{},"ISSN":["0022-2615","1473-5644"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0022-2615","type":"print"},{"value":"1473-5644","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2006,8,1]]}}}