title: Streptococcus pyogenes Infection in a Free-Living European Hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus).
abstract: Streptococcus pyogenes, a common pathogen of humans, was isolated from the carcass of a free-living European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) found in northern England in June 2014. The animal had abscessation of the deep right cervical lymph node, mesenteric lymph nodes and liver. The S. pyogenes strain isolated from the lesions, peritoneal and pleural cavities was characterised as emm 28, which can be associated with invasive disease in humans. This is the first known report of S. pyogenes in a hedgehog and in any free-living wild animal that has been confirmed by gene sequencing. As close associations between wild hedgehogs and people in England are common, we hypothesise that this case might have resulted from anthroponotic infection.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London, NW1 4RY, UK. Lydia.Franklinos@ioz.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Lydia H V
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Franklinos
authors.affiliation: Public Health England, Colindale, London, NW9 5EQ, UK.
authors.forename: Androulla
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Efstratiou
authors.affiliation: Living Collections, Zoological Society of London, London, NW1 4RY, UK.
authors.forename: Shaheed K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Macgregor
authors.affiliation: Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London, NW1 4RY, UK.
authors.forename: Shinto K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: John
authors.affiliation: Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London, NW1 4RY, UK.
authors.forename: Timothy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hopkins
authors.affiliation: Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London, NW1 4RY, UK.
authors.forename: Andrew A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Cunningham
authors.affiliation: Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London, NW1 4RY, UK.
authors.forename: Becki
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lawson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild / Q000382:microbiology*; D018562:Disease Transmission, Infectious; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D006364:Hedgehogs / Q000382:microbiology*; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission*; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000635:transmission*
keywords: European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus); Streptococcus pyogenes; anthroponosis; anthroponotic; reverse zoonosis