title: Familial transmission of a serious disease--producing group A streptococcus clone: case reports and review.
abstract: Invasive group A streptococcus (GAS) infections are emerging diseases; however, person-to-person transmission of invasive GAS producing life-threatening infection has been observed rarely. We report a small intrafamilial cluster of life-threatening GAS infections. A previously healthy 47-year-old father developed necrotizing fasciitis of the neck. Two days later, his 16-year-old daughter developed streptococcal angina, pneumonia, and pleural empyema. Both patients had signs of streptococcal toxic shock syndrome. Pulsed field gel electrophoresis revealed that the M6 strains of GAS isolated from the father and daughter had identical patterns. Cases of person-to-person transmission of invasive GAS infection reported in the literature are also reviewed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Inselspital, University Hospital, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Gamba
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martinelli
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Schaad
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Streuli
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: DiPersio
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Matter
authors.forename: H B
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Ris
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Marchal
authors.forename: E L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Kaplan
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Stevens
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Malinverni
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000635:transmission*; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes