Sustained increase of paediatric invasive Streptococcus pyogenes infections dominated by M1UK and diverse emm 12 isolates, Portugal, September 2022 to May 2023

Euro Surveill. 2023 Sep;28(36):2300427. doi: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2023.28.36.2300427.

Abstract

Since autumn 2022, observed numbers of paediatric invasive group A Streptococcus infections in Portugal (n = 89) were higher than in pre-COVID-19 seasons. Between September 2022 and May 2023, the dominant diagnoses were pneumonia (25/79), mostly with empyema (20/25), and sepsis (22/79). A number of cases required admission to intensive care (27/79) and surgery (35/79), and the case fatality rate was 5.1% (4/79). Genomic sequencing (n = 55) revealed multiple genetic lineages, dominated by the M1UK sublineage (26/55) and more diverse emm12 isolates (12/55).

Keywords: M1UK; Streptococcus pyogenes; emm type; epidemiology; group A streptococcus; paediatric infections; whole genome sequencing.

MeSH terms

  • COVID-19*
  • Child
  • Chromosome Mapping
  • Humans
  • Portugal / epidemiology
  • Streptococcal Infections* / diagnosis
  • Streptococcal Infections* / epidemiology
  • Streptococcus pyogenes / genetics
  • United Kingdom