Outbreak of group A Streptococcus emm94.0 affecting people who inject drugs in southwest England, April 2017 - 02/02/18
, Petra Manley, MSc a, †, Ben Sims, MSc b, Theresa Lamagni, PhD c, Derren Ready, PhD d, Juliana Coelho, PhD d, Layth Alsaffar, PhD e, Charles R. Beck, PhD a, Fiona Neely, FFPH bon behalf of the
Outbreak Control Team
Highlights |
• | Investigation of an outbreak of group A Streptococcus emm94.0 among people who inject drugs (PWID) has not identified a source of infection. |
• | Strain type emm94.0 is relatively uncommon in the UK and had not been reported from the affected town prior to this outbreak. |
• | Data from the national reference laboratory suggest that the rise in severe infections due to this strain type is disproportionately affecting PWID. |
• | Reinforcing infection control measures in this vulnerable population remains challenging and requires a multidisciplinary approach. |
Abstract |
We report an outbreak of invasive and noninvasive group A Streptococcus during April 2017 among people who inject drugs in southwest England. To date we have identified 14 cases linked to a specific town, all confirmed as group A Streptococcus emm94.0, a strain type not previously reported in the area. We have yet to identify a source for this ongoing outbreak. Actions described here may help reduce the burden of infection in vulnerable populations.
Le texte complet de cet article est disponible en PDF.Key Words : Disease notification, Streptococcal infection, Substance abuse, Intravenous/epidemiology, Vulnerable populations
Plan
| Conflicts of interest: None to report. |
Vol 46 - N° 2
P. 238-240 - février 2018 Retour au numéroBienvenue sur EM-consulte, la référence des professionnels de santé.
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