Streptococcus pyogenes emm Type 3.93 Emergence, the Netherlands and England
Davies, Matthew A; de Gier, Brechje; Guy, Rebecca L; Coelho, Juliana; van Dam, Alje P; van Houdt, Robin; Matamoros, Sébastien; van den Berg, Marit; Habermehl, Patrick E; Moganeradj, Kartyk; Ryan, Yan; Platt, Steve; Hearn, Henry; Blakey, Eleanor; Chooneea, Darren; Vlaminckx, Bart JM; Lamagni, Theresa; van Sorge, Nina M
Series / Report no.
Open Access
Type
Journal Article
Article
Article
Language
en
Date
2025-02
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Journal Issue
Title
Streptococcus pyogenes emm Type 3.93 Emergence, the Netherlands and England
Translated Title
Published in
Emerg Infect Dis 2025; 31(2):229-236
Abstract
A global increase in the incidence of invasive group A Streptococcus (iGAS) infections was observed after lifting of COVID-19 related restrictions in 2022, and type M1 dominated in many countries. After seasonal declines in iGAS incidence during the summer of 2023, simultaneous, rapid expansion of a previously rare emm type 3.93 was seen beginning in November, increasing to 20% of all cases in England and 60% of all cases in the Netherlands within 4 months. emm3.93 was associated with iGAS in children 6-17 years of age and with increased risk for pneumonia or pleural empyema and meningitis in both countries. No excess risk of death was identified for emm3.93 compared with other types. Genomic analysis of historic and contemporary emm3.93 isolates revealed the emergence of 3 new clades with a potentially advantageous genomic configuration. Our findings demonstrate the value of molecular surveillance, including long-read sequencing, in identifying clinical and public health threats.