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An outbreak of skin sepsis in abattoir workers caused by an ‘unusual’ strain of Streptococcus pyogenes

G. PHILLIPS, A. EFSTRATIOU^*, A. TANNA^*, B. BEALL, J. FERGUSON and M. ROWORTH

Department of Medical Microbiology, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, Dundee DD1 9SY, *PHLS Respiratory and Systemic Infection Laboratory, Central Public Health Laboratory, London NW9 5HT, Division of Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA, Department of Dermatology, Ninewells Hospital, Dundee DD1 9SY and Public Health Medicine, Tayside Health Board, King's Cross Hospital, Dundee DD3 8EA

Corresponding author: Dr G. Phillips.

Received 22 June 1999; accepted 1 Oct. 1999.

Abstract

An outbreak of indolent skin infections due to an ‘unusual’ serological type of Streptococcus pyogenes that lasted for 3 months and affected eight workers in an abattoir is described. The group A streptococcal (GAS) isolates were serotyped as M-type 59; however, they possessed a T-protein pattern (T5/27/44) that is not commonly associated with M-type 59. Further genotypic characterisation studies revealed that all eight isolates were indistinguishable by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and possessed the emm gene encoding for the M-type 59. Once identified, and after a combination of penicillin treatment, exclusion of workers with lesions and reinforcement of standard hygiene precautions, no further cases developed. Although common in the 1970s and 1980s, streptococcal infections in this situation are now reported infrequently. This report serves to highlight the issues surrounding working practices in abattoirs.