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J Infect Chemother 2020 Jul 1. Epub 2020 Jul 1.

Otorhinolaryngological Sub-committee and the Surveillance Committee of Japanese Society of Chemotherapy (JSC), The Japanese Association for Infectious Diseases (JAID), The Japanese Society for Clinical Microbiology (JSCM), Tokyo, Japan.

The Japanese Three Academic Societies Joint Antimicrobial Susceptibility Surveillance Committee conducted a nationwide surveillance on six otorhinolaryngological diseases and investigated the antimicrobial susceptibility patterns and isolation rates of the causative pathogens. The surveillance program was conducted in the otorhinolaryngological departments of 12 universities, and 36 affiliated hospitals and clinics. Patients with acute otitis media (children under six years old), chronic otitis media, acute nasal sinusitis, chronic nasal sinusitis, acute tonsillitis, and peritonsillar abscess (over 20 years old) between December 2015 and June 2017 were investigated. Read More

Eur J Microbiol Immunol (Bp) 2020 Jun 5. Epub 2020 Jun 5.

4 Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology and Head-, Neck Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.

Introduction: Chronic sinusitis caused by anaerobes is a particular concern clinically, because many of the complications are associated with infections caused by these organisms. The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of anaerobic bacteria in chronic sinusitis in adults as a part of a prospective microbiological study.

Materials And Methods: Over a one-year period, aspirations of maxillary sinus secretions and/or ethmoid cavities were derived in n = 79 adult patients with chronic sinusitis by endoscopy in a tertiary-care teaching hospital in Hungary. Read More

Hand Clin 2020 Aug;36(3):381-386

9500 Euclid Avenue Mail Code A40, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA. Electronic address:

Infections are an important source of morbidity in pediatric hands that come from frequent exposure to mouths and other dangers while exploring the world. Although Staphylococcus aureus is still the most common organism in pediatric hand infections, it is less common than in adults because pediatric patients are more likely to develop mixed aerobic/anaerobic infections or group A Streptococcus pyogenes infection. Pediatric patients with open physes potentially may sustain Seymour fractures of the distal phalanges that may become infected and sources for osteomyelitis if not recognized early. Read More

Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2020 Sep 22;18:33-43. Epub 2020 May 22.

State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, China.

Herpes simplex keratitis (HSK) is the most common cause of corneal blindness in developed nations, caused by primary or recurrent herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) infection of the cornea. Latent infection of HSV-1, especially in the trigeminal ganglion (TG), causes recurrence of HSV-1 infection. As antiviral treatment is not effective on latent HSV-1, to test the possibility of inhibiting HSV-1 by SpCas9 ( Cas9) or SaCas9 ( Cas9), and , two important genes required for HSV-1 replication and reactivation, were chosen as targets. Read More

PLoS One 2020 23;15(6):e0235139. Epub 2020 Jun 23.

Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, The Sanford School of Medicine of the University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, United States of America.

Viral infections complicated by a bacterial infection are typically referred to as coinfections or superinfections. Streptococcus pyogenes, the group A streptococcus (GAS), is not the most common bacteria associated with influenza A virus (IAV) superinfections but did cause significant mortality during the 2009 influenza pandemic even though all isolates are susceptible to penicillin. One approach to improve the outcome of these infections is to use passive immunization targeting GAS. Read More

J Infect Chemother 2020 Jun 19. Epub 2020 Jun 19.

Saiseikai Kumamoto Hospital, Kumamoto, Japan.

The nationwide surveillance on antimicrobial susceptibility of bacterial respiratory pathogens from the patients in Japan was conducted by the Japanese Society of Chemotherapy, the Japanese Association for Infectious Diseases, and the Japanese Society for Clinical Microbiology in 2016. The isolates were collected from clinical specimens obtained from well-diagnosed adult patients with respiratory tract infections during the period between February 2016 and August 2016 by three societies. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was conducted at the central reference laboratory according to the method recommended by Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute. Read More

Am J Psychiatry 2020 Jun 16:appiajp202019070698. Epub 2020 Jun 16.

Department of Psychiatry (Xu, Liu, Fahey, Frick, Duman, Williams, Pittenger), Child Study Center (Leckman, Vaccarino, Pittenger), Department of Pediatrics (Leckman), and Department of Neuroscience (Vaccarino), Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn.; Hunter James Kelly Research Institute, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo (Frick); Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School (Williams), Boston; Pediatrics and Developmental Neuroscience Branch, NIMH, Bethesda, Md. (Swedo); PANDAS Physicians Network (Swedo); and Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University, New Haven, Conn. (Pittenger).

Objective: Pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) sometimes appears rapidly, even overnight, often after an infection. Pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections, or PANDAS, describes such a situation after infection with . PANDAS may result from induced autoimmunity against brain antigens, although this remains unproven. Read More

J Clin Microbiol 2020 Jun 10. Epub 2020 Jun 10.

Department of Clinical Microbiology, Landspitali - The National University Hospital of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland

Resistance to macrolide antibiotics is a global concern in the treatment of (Group A , GAS) infections. In Iceland, since the detection of the first macrolide-resistant isolate in 1998, three epidemic waves of macrolide-resistant GAS infections have occurred with peaks in 1999, 2004, and 2008. We conducted whole genome sequencing of all 1,575 available GAS macrolide-resistant clinical isolates of all infection types collected at the national reference laboratory in Reykjavik from 1998 to 2016. Read More

J Hosp Infect 2020 Jun 1. Epub 2020 Jun 1.

Division of Infection Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden. Electronic address:

Background: Streptococcus pyogenes is a well-known cause of postpartum infections and is causing significant morbidity and mortality.

Aim: To describe measures taken to control an outbreak of postpartum infections caused by S. pyogenes emm75 on a maternity ward. Read More

JCI Insight 2020 Jun 4;5(11). Epub 2020 Jun 4.

Center for Molecular and Translational Human Infectious Diseases Research, Houston Methodist Research Institute, and Department of Pathology and Genomic Medicine, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA.

Streptococcus pyogenes (group A streptococcus; GAS) causes 600 million cases of pharyngitis annually worldwide. There is no licensed human GAS vaccine despite a century of research. Although the human oropharynx is the primary site of GAS infection, the pathogenic genes and molecular processes used to colonize, cause disease, and persist in the upper respiratory tract are poorly understood. Read More

Acute Med Surg 2020 Jan-Dec;7(1):e513. Epub 2020 May 31.

Division of Acute and Critical Care Medicine Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine Sapporo Japan.

Aim: Combined detailed analysis of patient characteristics and treatment as well as bacterial virulence factors, which all play a central role in the cause of infections leading to severe illness, has not been reported. We aimed to describe the patient characteristics (Charlson comorbidity index [CCI]), treatment (3-h bundle), and outcomes in relation to bacterial virulence of and beta-hemolytic (BHS).

Methods: This sepsis primary study is part of the larger Focused Outcomes Research in Emergency Care in Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Sepsis and Trauma (FORECAST) study, a multicenter, prospective cohort study. Read More

Arch Argent Pediatr 2020 06;118(3):e309-e312

Departamento de Salud Materno Infantil, Universidad Maimónides, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Beta hemolytic particularly of group A Streptococcus meningitis, is a rare site of the group of invasive infections caused by this microorganism. It occurs frequently in healthy children, without predisposing factors. It represents 0. Read More

Front Pediatr 2020 6;8:204. Epub 2020 May 6.

Université de Paris, IAME, INSERM, Paris, France.

Few data are available on invasive group A (GAS) infections (IGASIs) in infants. We described initial clinical and laboratory features and outcomes of <3-month-old infants hospitalized for an IGASI between 2007 and 2016 in France. Patients were identified from the French National Reference Centre for streptococci. Read More

Methods Mol Biol 2020 ;2136:339-345

Institute of Medical Microbiology, Virology and Hygiene, University Medicine Rostock, Rostock, Germany.

Antisense peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) targeting genes involved in metabolism or virulence are a possible means to treat infections or to investigate pathogenic bacteria. Potential targets include essential genes, virulence factor genes, or antibiotic resistance genes. For efficient cellular uptake, PNAs can be coupled to cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs). Read More

Methods Mol Biol 2020 ;2136:287-301

Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia.

Skin infections caused by Streptococcus pyogenes are a significant health concern in the tropics and among Indigenous populations of developed countries. To study the immunobiology of skin infections and to develop preventative and therapeutic measures to target these infections, an in vivo model is vital. We developed a mouse model to investigate immunity to skin infections and for testing the efficacy of several vaccine candidates. Read More

Methods Mol Biol 2020 ;2136:33-57

Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics and Maryland Pathogen Research Institute, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, MD, USA.

Transposon-sequencing (Tn-seq) has revolutionized forward-genetic analyses to study genotype-phenotype associations and interrogate bacterial cell physiology. The Tn-seq approach allows the en masse monitoring of highly complex mutant libraries, leveraging massive parallel DNA sequencing as a means to characterize the composition of these mutant pools on a genome-scale with unprecedented nucleotide-level high resolution. In this chapter, we present step-by-step protocols for Tn-seq analyses in the human pathogen Streptococcus pyogenes (Group A Streptococcus or GAS) using the mariner-based Krmit transposon. Read More

Methods Mol Biol 2020 ;2136:17-23

Institute of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, University Hospital, Aachen, Germany.

Conventional PCR techniques are laborious and usually not suited for fast screening of large sample numbers in a clinical or research setting. Using this closed-tube multiplex real-time PCR, the presence of all 11 Streptococcus pyogenes superantigen (SAg) genes can be rapidly and accurately characterized. Identifying whether a strain contains a SAg can be done within 4 h compared to conventional methods which would take 11 times as long. Read More

ACS Infect Dis 2020 Jun 3. Epub 2020 Jun 3.

Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States.

Group A (GAS) displays cell-surface proteins that resemble human collagen. We find that a fluorophore-labeled collagen mimetic peptide (CMP) labels GAS cells but not or cells, which lack such proteins. The CMP likely engages in a heterotrimeric helix with endogenous collagen, as the nonnatural d enantiomer of the CMP does not label GAS cells. Read More

IDCases 2020 5;20:e00785. Epub 2020 May 5.

University of Maryland Medical Center, Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease. 22 South Greene St, Baltimore MD 21201, United States.

gynecological infections generally occur in association with childbirth, intra-uterine devices, and other invasive gynecologic procedures, but rarely cause spontaneous pelvic inflammatory disease. We describe a case of a healthy young woman with spontaneous pelvic inflammatory disease, bacteremia, and shock, and summarize an additional 13 cases found in the literature. The majority were bacteremic and a significant number were also hypotensive. Read More

Iran J Basic Med Sci 2020 Jan;23(1):133-139

Department of Microbiology, University of Karachi, Karachi-75270, Pakistan.

Objectives: , a notorious human pathogen is responsible to cause a wide range of infections varies from superficial common clinical illness to severe and life threatening infections. To our knowledge this is the first report exploring the types and superantigen/exotoxin gene profile of from Pakistan.

Materials And Methods: A total of 89 strains were collected predominantly from throat swabs followed by pus, tissues and wound swabs. Read More

J Bacteriol 2020 Jun 25;202(14). Epub 2020 Jun 25.

Department of Biology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Group A streptococcus (GAS) produces millions of infections worldwide, including mild mucosal infections, postinfection sequelae, and life-threatening invasive diseases. During infection, GAS readily acquires nutritional iron from host heme and hemoproteins. Here, we identified a new heme importer, named SiaFGH, and investigated its role in GAS pathophysiology. Read More

Sisli Etfal Hastan Tip Bul 2019 21;53(4):441-444. Epub 2019 Nov 21.

Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Necip Fazil State Hospital, Kahramanmaras, Turkey.

Paediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococci (PANDAS) are important neuropsychiatric disorders in childhood. Streptococcus pyogenes infection associated with tics, obsessive-compulsive disorders, and chorea co-occurrence is important. Swedo et al. Read More

Clin Infect Dis 2020 May 6. Epub 2020 May 6.

Division of Bacterial Diseases, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia.

Background: Group A Streptococcus (GAS) is a leading cause of acute respiratory infections frequently resulting in antibiotic prescribing. Vaccines against GAS are currently in development.

Methods: We estimated the incidence of healthcare visits and antibiotic prescribing for pharyngitis, sinusitis, and acute otitis media (AOM) in the United States using nationally-representative surveys of outpatient care provision, supplemented by insurance claims data. Read More

Curr Med Chem 2020 May 4. Epub 2020 May 4.

Department of Plant Physiology, Institute for Biological Research "Siniša Stanković" - National Institute of Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Bulevar Despota Stefana 142, 11000 Belgrade. Serbia.

Infections of the upper respiratory tract include inflammations of the nose, sinuses (sinusitis), pharynx (tonsillitis, pharyngitis) and larynx (laryngitis) with bacteria or viruses as the main cause of these conditions. Due to their repetitive nature, chronic respiratory infections represent a global problem which is often a result of an improper treatment. If not treated adequately, these conditions may have serious consequences. Read More

Int J Infect Dis 2020 May 1;96:408-415. Epub 2020 May 1.

Aix-Marseille Univ., IRD, AP-HM, MEPHI, Marseille, France; IHU Mediterranée Infection, Marseille, France.

Objectives: Children aged <5 years are the group most affected by infectious diseases, more specifically in underdeveloped countries. A study was performed to assess the effects of daily soap use on the incidence of diarrhoea, fever, respiratory infection, and the prevalence of pathogenic bacteria on the skin.

Methods: Soap was distributed to the population of the village of Ndiop (test) for use in their daily hygiene but not to the population of the village of Dielmo (control). Read More

mSphere 2020 04 29;5(2). Epub 2020 Apr 29.

Doherty Department, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne and The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

A recent clinical report has linked β-lactam antibiotic resistance to mutation in the penicillin binding protein (PBP) PBP2x. To determine whether this is an isolated case or reflects a broader prevalence of mutations that might confer reduced β-lactam susceptibility, we investigated the relative frequency of PBP sequence variation within a global database of 9,667 isolates. We found that mutations in PBPs (PBP2x, PBP1a, PBP1b, and PBP2a) occur infrequently across this global database, with fewer than 3 amino acid changes differing between >99% of the global population. Read More

J Antibiot (Tokyo) 2020 Apr 28. Epub 2020 Apr 28.

College of Medical Science, Daegu Haany University, Gyeongsan, Republic of Korea.

To find a therapeutic alternative for the treatment of skin and soft tissue infections, we evaluated the effects of combinations of retapamulin with macrolide, lincosamide, and streptogramin (MLS) antibiotics against Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Enterococcus faecium, and Enterococcus faecalis. Using both the disk diffusion test and checkerboard assay, we initially examined the effects of combinations of retapamulin with MLS antibiotics against standard strains of these species. Combinations of retapamulin with erythromycin, quinupristin/dalfopristin and quinupristin showed synergistic activity against E. Read More

BMJ 2020 Apr 27;369:m1428. Epub 2020 Apr 27.

Port Macquarie Base Hospital, Port Macquarie, New South Wales, Australia.

JNMA J Nepal Med Assoc 2020 Jan;58(221):24-28

Department of Microbiology, KIST Medical College and Teaching Hospital, Gwarko, Lalitpur.

Introduction: Lower respiratory tract infection is a common infection and accounts for a greater burden of disease worldwide. It is a great challenge to the clinician and still more, with increasing antimicrobial resistance. Its empirical treatment may vary according to the type of causative organisms. Read More

BMC Public Health 2019 May 10;19(Suppl 3):521. Epub 2019 May 10.

Global Disease Detection Center, Thailand Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) - United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Collaboration, Nonthaburi, Thailand.

Background: Bloodstream infection (BSI) surveillance is essential to characterize the public health threat of bacteremia. We summarize BSI epidemiology in rural Thailand over an eight year period.

Methods: Population-based surveillance captured clinically indicated blood cultures and associated antimicrobial susceptibility results performed in all 20 hospitals in Nakhon Phanom (NP) and Sa Kaeo (SK) provinces. Read More

Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020 06;102(6):1208-1209

Metro Infectious Disease, Northwestern Medicine McHenry Hospital, McHenry, Illinois.

The early shortage of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) tests in the United States led many hospitals to first screen for common respiratory pathogens, and only if this screen was negative to proceed with COVID-19 testing. We report a case of a 56-year-old woman with severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) coinfection with group A . The initial testing strategy resulted in delays in both diagnosis and implementation of appropriate precautions. Read More

Ann Transl Med 2020 Mar;8(5):203

The Laboratory of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Pediatric Translational Medicine Institute, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200127, China.

Background: Delays in the diagnosis of pediatric osteoarticular infections (OAIs) can cause associated acute complications or long-term morbidity. This study attempts to develop a multiplex PCR-based assay that can rapidly and accurately detect the main pathogens involved in pediatric OAIs, namely, methicillin-sensitive or methicillin-resistant and .

Methods: A set of four gene-specific primers suitable for use in a one-tube PCR assay was designed to detect four common pathogens involved in pediatric OAIs, namely, for methicillin-sensitive , and for methicillin-resistant for and for . Read More

Clin Microbiol Infect 2020 Apr 11. Epub 2020 Apr 11.

Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland.

Objectives: Streptococcus pyogenes or group A streptococcus (GAS) is a human specific pathogen that annually infects over 700 million individuals. GAS strains of type emm28 are an abundant cause of invasive infections in Europe and North America.

Methods: We conducted a population-based study on bacteraemic emm28 GAS cases in Finland, from 1995 to 2015. Read More

Can Fam Physician 2020 Apr;66(4):251-257

Assistant Professor and Research Director in the Department of Otolaryngology at Queen's University and Adjunct Scientist with ICES Queen's.

Objective: To provide family physicians with an updated approach to diagnosis and treatment of pharyngitis, detailing key symptoms, methods of investigation, and a summary of common causes.

Sources Of Information: The approach described is based on the authors' clinical practice and peer-reviewed literature from 1989 to 2018.

Main Message: Sore throat caused by pharyngitis is commonly seen in family medicine clinics and is caused by inflammation of the pharynx and surrounding tissues. Read More

J Orthop 2020 Sep-Oct;21:150-154. Epub 2020 Mar 24.

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Montefiore Medical Centre, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.

Group A streptococcal (GAS) infections have high morbidity and mortality due to toxin production and tissue invasion. We reviewed all orthopaedic GAS infections at our medical centre between January 2017 and April 2019. Median age was 56 years. Read More

PLoS One 2020 3;15(4):e0228122. Epub 2020 Apr 3.

Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.

The present study aimed to specify diagnostics for peritonsillar abscesses (PTAs) and to clarify the role of minor salivary glands. This prospective cohort study included 112 patients with acute tonsillitis (AT) and PTA recruited at a tertiary hospital emergency department between February and October 2017. All patients completed a questionnaire concerning their current disease. Read More

Curr Microbiol 2020 Aug 2;77(8):1518-1524. Epub 2020 Apr 2.

Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstrasse 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany.

Streptococcus pyogenes or Group A Streptococcus (GAS) infections are the leading cause of bacterial tonsillopharyngitis. The bacterium can survive and persist within the human host for a long time as it is observed in up to 40% of the population who are considered as carriers. Recurrent tonsillopharyngitis is a particular problem in children which is caused either by relapses due to failed bacterial clearance or by reinfection. Read More

Klin Lab Diagn 2020 ;65(4):244-250

CJSC «FIRN-M», Obolensk, Moscow region, Russia.

The study is devoted to the study of the antimicrobial activity of the antioxidant dioxidin and the complex dioxin-containing preparation Nosolin-ultra, nasal drops against planktonic and biofilm cultures of pathogens of ENT infections, the dynamics of the formation of microbial resistance to dioxidine. 11 reference strains and 9 clinical strains of microorganisms were used in the study: Streptococcus spp., Staphylococcus spp. Read More

PLoS One 2020 26;15(3):e0229064. Epub 2020 Mar 26.

Center for Molecular and Translational Human Infectious Diseases Research, Department of Pathology and Genomic Medicine, Houston Methodist Research Institute and Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas, United States of America.

Streptococcus pyogenes is a strict human pathogen responsible for more than 700 million infections annually worldwide. Strains of serotype M28 S. pyogenes are typically among the five more abundant types causing invasive infections and pharyngitis in adults and children. Read More

Am J Pathol 2020 04 19;190(4):862-873. Epub 2020 Mar 19.

Center for Molecular and Translational Human Infectious Diseases Research, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, Texas; Department of Pathology and Genomic Medicine, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York. Electronic address:

Group A streptococcus (GAS) is a major pathogen that impacts health and economic affairs worldwide. Although the oropharynx is the primary site of infection, GAS can colonize the female genital tract and cause severe diseases, such as puerperal sepsis, neonatal infections, and necrotizing myometritis. Our understanding of how GAS genes contribute to interaction with the primate female genital tract is limited by the lack of relevant animal models. Read More

Cureus 2020 Feb 1;12(2):e6841. Epub 2020 Feb 1.

Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, King Abdulaziz Medical City, Jeddah, SAU.

Objective Our study was performed to identify the clinical findings, risk factors, and complications of deep neck space infections (DNSI) at our center and compare our experience with the experiences of others. Methods Retrospectively, 183 cases of DNSI met our inclusion criteria from 2000 to 2018 at King Abdulaziz Medical City (KAMC) in Jeddah, Western Region, Saudi Arabia. Results In our study, analysis showed that males are more likely to have DNSI (88. Read More

Microbiol Resour Announc 2020 Mar 12;9(11). Epub 2020 Mar 12.

CHU Rennes-Service de Bactériologie et Hygiène Hospitalière, Rennes, France

The frequency of infections due to M/89 strains is increasing, presumably due to the emergence of a genetically distinct clone. We sequenced two 89 strains isolated in Brittany, France, in 2009 and 2010 from invasive and noninvasive infections, respectively. Both strains belong to a newly emerged 89 clade 3 clone. Read More

J Clin Microbiol 2020 May 26;58(6). Epub 2020 May 26.

Department of Pathology, Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia, USA

Each year, there are an estimated 11 million visits to ambulatory care centers for pharyngitis in children between the ages of 3 and 18 years. While there are many causes of pediatric pharyngitis, group A streptococcal pharyngitis represents 15 to 30% of infections and is the only cause for which treatment is recommended. Unfortunately, clinical suspicion is insufficient for the accurate diagnosis of group A streptococcal pharyngitis, and laboratory testing for confirmation of infection is required to prevent complications of infection. Read More

PLoS One 2020 10;15(3):e0229911. Epub 2020 Mar 10.

The Research Institute of Nursing Science, College of Nursing, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea.

Background: The unique characteristics of long-term care facilities (LTCFs) including host factors and living conditions contribute to the spread of contagious pathogens. Control measures are essential to interrupt the transmission and to manage outbreaks effectively.

Aim: The aim of this systematic review was to verify the causes and problems contributing to transmission and to identify control measures during outbreaks in LTCFs. Read More

J Bacteriol 2020 Apr 27;202(10). Epub 2020 Apr 27.

W. M. Keck Center for Transgene Research, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA

(Lancefield group A [GAS]) is a β-hemolytic human-selective pathogen that is responsible for a large number of morbid and mortal infections in humans. For efficient infection, GAS requires different types of surface proteins that provide various mechanisms for evading human innate immune responses, thus enhancing pathogenicity of the bacteria. Many such virulence-promoting proteins, including the major surface signature M protein, are translocated after biosynthesis through the cytoplasmic membrane and temporarily tethered to this membrane via a type 1 transmembrane domain (TMD) positioned near the COOH terminus. Read More

Int J Mol Sci 2020 Feb 21;21(4). Epub 2020 Feb 21.

Chair and 1st Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Early Intervention, Medical University of Lublin, Gluska Street 1, 20-439 Lublin, Poland.

The objective of this paper is to review and summarize conclusions from the available literature regarding Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections (PANDAS). The authors have independently reviewed articles from 1977 onwards, primarily focusing on the etiopathology, symptoms, differentiation between similar psychiatric conditions, immunological reactions, alterations in the nervous system and gut microbiota, genetics, and the available treatment for PANDAS. Recent research indicates that PANDAS patients show noticeable alterations within the structures of the central nervous system, including caudate, putamen, globus pallidus, and striatum, as well as bilateral and lentiform nuclei. Read More

Intern Med J 2020 Feb 24. Epub 2020 Feb 24.

Head of Microbiology, Deputy Director, Department of Infectious Diseases, Alfred Health, Melbourne, Victoria.

Background: Invasive group A streptococcal (iGAS) infections are increasing worldwide with at risk groups being children, pregnant women and the elderly. In 2017, there was a rise in iGAS cases in Victoria, prompting a Chief Health Officer advisory.

Aims: To describe the characteristics of patients with GAS bacteraemia admitted to a tertiary hospital. Read More

J Glob Antimicrob Resist 2020 Feb 18;22:334-348. Epub 2020 Feb 18.

Laboratoire Microbiologie Santé et Environnement (LMSE), Doctoral School of Sciences and Technology, Faculty of Public Health, Lebanese University, Tripoli, Lebanon. Electronic address:

Objectives: The aim of this review was to provide an updated scenario on the epidemiology of group A streptococci (GAS) in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region with a special spotlight on the most prevalent emmtypes and macrolide resistance profiles.

Methods: This review briefly summarises the disease burden for GAS in the MENA region.

Results: Whilst the burden of invasive GAS infections is difficult to assess in the MENA region, the GAS prevalence ranged from 2. Read More

PLoS One 2020 21;15(2):e0229198. Epub 2020 Feb 21.

Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.

The capability of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus to form biofilm on varying CI component materials differs in the presence and absence of bioactive glass (BAG). The application of BAG induces significant changes in biofilm morphology which can be visualized via scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Bacterial biofilm formation on medical devices, such as cochlear implants (CI), can lead to chronic infections. Read More