TY - JOUR
T1 - Increasing incidence of group A streptococcal infections amongst injecting drug users in England and Wales
AU - Efstratiou, Androulla
AU - Emery, Michaela
AU - Lamagni, Theresa
AU - Tanna, Asha
AU - Warner, Marina
AU - George, Robert
N1 - Copyright:
Copyright 2008 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2003/6/1
Y1 - 2003/6/1
N2 - During 2000, the UK witnessed a sudden increase in severe infections and related deaths in injecting drug users (IDUs), sparking off a UK-wide investigation. A worrying upward trend in severe group A streptococcal (GAS) infections has recently been observed in IDUs based upon isolate referrals to the PHLS Respiratory and Systemic Infection Laboratory. Most cases were young male adults who presented with skin sepsis and bacteraemia. Serotyping revealed a diverse range of M types, with higher types predominating in some geographical areas. The data suggest that GAS invasive soft-tissue infections may present in an epidemic fashion among IDUs in the absence of a common source.
AB - During 2000, the UK witnessed a sudden increase in severe infections and related deaths in injecting drug users (IDUs), sparking off a UK-wide investigation. A worrying upward trend in severe group A streptococcal (GAS) infections has recently been observed in IDUs based upon isolate referrals to the PHLS Respiratory and Systemic Infection Laboratory. Most cases were young male adults who presented with skin sepsis and bacteraemia. Serotyping revealed a diverse range of M types, with higher types predominating in some geographical areas. The data suggest that GAS invasive soft-tissue infections may present in an epidemic fashion among IDUs in the absence of a common source.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0037757601&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1099/jmm.0.05167-0
DO - 10.1099/jmm.0.05167-0
M3 - Article
C2 - 12748273
AN - SCOPUS:0037757601
SN - 0022-2615
VL - 52
SP - 525
EP - 526
JO - Journal of Medical Microbiology
JF - Journal of Medical Microbiology
IS - 6
ER -