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J Med Microbiol 52 (2003), 525-526; DOI: 10.1099/jmm.0.05167-0
© 2003 Society for General Microbiology
ISSN 0022-2615

Increasing incidence of group A streptococcal infections amongst injecting drug users in England and Wales

Androulla Efstratiou1, Michaela Emery1, Theresa L. Lamagni2, Asha Tanna1, Marina Warner1 and Robert C. George1

PHLS Central Public Health Laboratory1 and PHLS Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre2, 61 Colindale Avenue, London NW9 5HT, UK#dReceived 2 January 2003 Accepted 8 February 2003

Correspondence: Androulla Efstratiou aefstratiou{at}phls.org.uk)


During 2000, the UK witnessed a sudden increase in severe infections and related deaths in injecting drug users (IDUs), sparking off a UK-wide investigation. A worrying upward trend in severe group A streptococcal (GAS) infections has recently been observed in IDUs based upon isolate referrals to the PHLS Respiratory and Systemic Infection Laboratory. Most cases were young male adults who presented with skin sepsis and bacteraemia. Serotyping revealed a diverse range of M types, with higher types predominating in some geographical areas. The data suggest that GAS invasive soft-tissue infections may present in an epidemic fashion among IDUs in the absence of a common source.

Abbreviations: GAS, group A streptococcus; IDU, injecting drug user.




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