A super virulent strain of Streptococcus linked to a deadly 2008-2009 Canadian outbreak is popping up in infection cases through the American Southwest.
The virus, emm59, is classified as Group A strep, which causes strep throat infections and some invasive skin infections. This strain is particularly worrisome because it can result in flesh-eating bacterial infections, which can be fatal.
"When compared with all other publicly available U.S. emm59 isolate genomes, a significant number of Flagstaff, Ariz., cases had group A strep strains that were identical. This tells us that we have an outbreak of this particularly nasty superbug," David Engelthaler, PhD, director of programs and operations at the Translational Genomics Research Institute in Flagstaff, Ariz., and lead author of the study, said in a statement.
The researchers are continuing to investigate the extent of the current outbreak and to alert populations that may be vulnerable to the infection.