title: Microbiological investigation of a hospital outbreak of invasive group A streptococcal disease in Krakow, Poland.
abstract: The present study reports the epidemiological investigations undertaken in one of Krakow's city hospitals regarding the source of infection and the routes of transmission of a group A streptococcus (Streptococcus pyogenes), using fluorescent in situ hybridization as a rapid method for detecting S. pyogenes carriage in the medical personnel involved. Four patients from the gynaecology department and two patients from the surgery department presented with clinical signs of infection. Characteristics of the S. pyogenes strains isolated from patients and from one medical staff member, including the emm gene and superantigens encoding genes, are described. All patients (four confirmed and two probable cases) survived; the operating theatre aid was identified as an S. pyogenes carrier and the source of the infections.
authors.affiliation: Chair of Microbiology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Strus
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Drzewiecki
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chmielarczyk
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tomusiak
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Romanek
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kosowski
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kochan
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: van der Linden
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lütticken
authors.forename: P B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Heczko
mesh_terms: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D002353:Carrier State / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D058889:Molecular Typing; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; C014689:streptococcal M protein