CGPH FACULTY: Lee Riley
DATE OF PUBLICATION: November 2010
REGION: Latin America
REFERENCE: Tartof SY, Reis JN, Andrade AN, Ramos RT, Reis MG, Riley LW. Factors associated with Group A Streptococcus emm type diversification in a large urban setting in Brazil: a cross-sectional study. BMC Infect Dis. 2010 Nov 11;10:327. doi: 10.1186/1471-2334-10-327.
SUMMARY/ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Group A Streptococcus (GAS) strain diversity varies across different regions of the world, according to low versus high-income countries. These differences may be related to geographic, environmental, socioeconomic, or host-related factors. However, local factors may also affect strain diversity. We compared the emm types of GAS isolates from children with and without sore throat in one large urban setting in Brazil. CONCLUSIONS: The emm type diversity from children attending slum clinics resembled the emm diversity of low income countries rather than that of children attending a non-slum clinic in the same city. Local factors, such as crowding, may enhance the frequency of GAS transmission and horizontal gene transfers that contribute to increased strain diversity in the slums. GAS vaccine coverage and control of GAS infections will need to take these local factors and strain differences into consideration.
ACCESS: Link to Pubmed