title: Population biology of the human restricted pathogen, Streptococcus pyogenes.
abstract: Streptococcus pyogenes, also referred to as beta-hemolytic group A streptococci, are strictly human pathogens with a global distribution and high prevalence of infection. The organisms are characterized by high levels of genetic recombination, extensive strain diversity, and a narrow habitat. This review highlights many key features of the population genetics and molecular epidemiology of this biologically diverse bacterial species, with special emphasis on ecological subdivisions and tissue-specific infections, strain diversity and population dynamics in communities, selection pressures arising from the specific host immune response and antibiotic exposure, and within-host selection during the course of invasive disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology & Immunology, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY 10595, USA. debra_bessen@nymc.edu
authors.forename: Debra E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Bessen
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D004463:Ecology; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005828:Genetics, Population; D006801:Humans; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D010802:Phylogeny; D012641:Selection, Genetic; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents