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. 2012 Oct;18(10):1658-61.
doi: 10.3201/eid1810.111900.

Scarlet fever epidemic, Hong Kong, 2011

Emma Y Y Luk  1 , Janice Y C Lo, Amy Z L Li, Michael C K Lau, Terence K M Cheung, Alice Y M Wong, Monica M H Wong, Christine W Wong, Shuk-kwan Chuang, Thomas Tsang
Affiliations

Scarlet fever epidemic, Hong Kong, 2011

Emma Y Y Luk et al. Emerg Infect Dis. 2012 Oct.

Abstract

More than 900 cases of scarlet fever were recorded in Hong Kong during January-July, 2011. Six cases were complicated by toxic shock syndrome, of which 2 were fatal. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis patterns suggested a multiclonal epidemic; emm12 was the predominant circulating type. We recommend genetic testing of and antimicrobial resistance monitoring for this reportable disease.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Weekly number of scarlet fever cases, by onset date, Hong Kong, January–July 2011. White bars indicate clinically diagnosed but not laboratory-confirmed cases; solid bars indicate laboratory-confirmed cases. Solid triangle indicates May 30 dissemination of press release about first fatal case (in a 7-year-old girl); open triangle indicates June 21 dissemination of press release about second fatal case (in a 5-year-old boy); circle indicates June 23 launch of health education campaign.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis patterns of 26 emm type 12.0 Streptococcus pyogenes strains, Hong Kong, 2011. Toxin profile results are shown as corresponding to the genes speA¸ speB, speC, speF, speH, and ssa. Strain M11–4380386 was from a fatal case. ERY suscep., erythromycin susceptibility result; R, resistant; S, susceptible. Scale bar indicates percent similarity.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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