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Automated Ribotyping and Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis Reveal a Cluster of Group A Streptococci in Intravenous Drug Abusers

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Summary

Background: In 1998, an unexpected increase of group A streptococci (GAS) in blood cultures was observed at our institution.

Materials and Methods: To determine whether they were from unrelated sporadic cases or attributable to a common source, all isolates were analyzed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and by automated ribotyping.

Results: Two clusters were found. All isolates, except one, of cluster 2 had been isolated from intravenous drug abusers.

Conclusion: All patients were hospitalized either in different hospitals or at different times in the same hospitals indicating that the putative common source is to be found in the drug community rather than in a particular hospital.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Medical Microbiology, University of Zurich, Gloriastr. 32, CH-8028 Zurich, Switzerland, Phone: (+41/1) 634-2752, Fax: -4906, e-mail: sbrunner@immv.unizh.ch, , , , , , CH

    S. Brunner & M. Altwegg

  2. Div. of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital of Zurich, HAL 14C, CH-8091 Zurich, Switzerland, , , , , , CH

    F. Fleisch & C. Ruef

Authors
  1. S. Brunner
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  2. F. Fleisch
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  3. C. Ruef
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  4. M. Altwegg
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Additional information

Received: January 13, 2000 · Revision accepted: June 27, 2000

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Brunner, S., Fleisch, F., Ruef, C. et al. Automated Ribotyping and Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis Reveal a Cluster of Group A Streptococci in Intravenous Drug Abusers. Infection 28, 314–317 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1007/s150100070026

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s150100070026

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