Population of invasive group A streptococci isolates from a German tertiary care center is dominated by the hypertoxigenic virulent M1UK genotype
Manuel Wolters, Benjamin Berinson, Nicole Degel-Brossmann, Armin Hoffmann, Rico Bluszis, Martin Aepfelbacher, Holger Rohde, Martin Christner
Abstract
Abstract Purpose Hypertoxigenic Streptococcus pyogenes emm 1 lineage M1 UK has recently been associated with upsurges of invasive infections and scarlet fever in several countries, but whole-genome sequencing surveillance data of lineages circulating in Germany is lacking. In this study, we investigated recent iGAS isolates from our laboratory at a German tertiary care center for the presence of the M1 UK lineage. Methods Whole-genome sequencing was employed to characterize a collection of 47 consecutive non-copy isolates recovered from blood cultures (21) and tissue samples (26) in our laboratory between October 2022 and April 2023. Results M protein gene ( emm ) typing distinguished 14 different emm types, with emm 1 (17) being the dominant type. Single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis confirmed the presence of all 27 SNPs characteristic for the M1 UK lineage in 14 of 17 emm 1 isolates. Conclusion This study has shown for the first time that M1 UK is present in Germany and might constitute a driving force in the observed surge of GAS infections. This observation mirrors developments in the UK and other countries and underscores the importance of WGS surveillance to understand the epidemiology of GAS.