A cluster of surgical wound infections due to unrelated strains of group A streptococci.
Group A streptococci account for less than 1% of all surgical wound infections but are an important cause of nosocomial outbreaks. We report here a cluster of four group A streptococcal infections that occurred within an 11-day period on a single surgical service. The index case presented with toxic shock-like syndrome. Epidemiologic investigation did not identify any relationship between infections. Restriction endonuclease analysis and M and T typing found the four isolates to be unrelated. Restriction endonuclease analysis is a useful tool for determining relatedness of nosocomial isolates of group A streptococci.
Jamieson
F B
FB
Department of Microbiology, Mount Sinai Hospital, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Green
K
K
Low
D E
DE
Simor
A E
AE
Goldman
C
C
Ng
J
J
McGeer
A
A
D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D009864:Ontario / Q000453:epidemiology; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D012772:Shock, Septic / Q000175:diagnosis; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology