title: Epidemiological typing of Streptococcus pyogenes by pyrolysis mass spectrometry.
abstract: Strains of Streptococcus pyogenes from an outbreak of infection on a burns unit (15), a collection of routine isolates from another hospital(12) and isolates from a national survey of throat infections in children in the community(4) were examined blind by pyrolysis-mass spectrometry (Py-MS). The outbreak strains (M22 T12) previously found to give identical typing results in conventional tests, formed a closely similar cluster and were distinct from other hospital and community strains. One hospital and one community strain were loosely associated with this cluster. Another cluster comprised six antibiotic-susceptible strains and two community strains. Six strains did not fall within the clusters; four were antibiotic-resistant strains isolated in hospital, one an antibiotic-resistant strain isolated in the community, and one a susceptible hospital strain. Results show that Py-MS is a potentially valuable method for rapid comparison of strains in studies of infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Children's Hospital, Sheffield.
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Magee
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Hindmarch
authors.forename: I A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Burnett
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pease
mesh_terms: D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D006801:Humans; D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes / Q000145:classification* / Q000302:isolation & purification