Nature Communications (May 2024)
Rapid expansion and international spread of M1UK in the post-pandemic UK upsurge of Streptococcus pyogenes
- Ana Vieira,
- Yu Wan,
- Yan Ryan,
- Ho Kwong Li,
- Rebecca L. Guy,
- Maria Papangeli,
- Kristin K. Huse,
- Lucy C. Reeves,
- Valerie W. C. Soo,
- Roger Daniel,
- Alessandra Harley,
- Karen Broughton,
- Chenchal Dhami,
- Mark Ganner,
- Marjorie A. Ganner,
- Zaynab Mumin,
- Maryam Razaei,
- Emma Rundberg,
- Rufat Mammadov,
- Ewurabena A. Mills,
- Vincenzo Sgro,
- Kai Yi Mok,
- Xavier Didelot,
- Nicholas J. Croucher,
- Elita Jauneikaite,
- Theresa Lamagni,
- Colin S. Brown,
- Juliana Coelho,
- Shiranee Sriskandan
Affiliations
- Ana Vieira
- Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London
- Yu Wan
- Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London
- Yan Ryan
- Reference Services Division, UK Health Security Agency
- Ho Kwong Li
- Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London
- Rebecca L. Guy
- Healthcare-Associated Infections, Fungal, AMR, AMU, and Sepsis Division, UK Health Security Agency
- Maria Papangeli
- Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London
- Kristin K. Huse
- Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London
- Lucy C. Reeves
- Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London
- Valerie W. C. Soo
- Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London
- Roger Daniel
- Reference Services Division, UK Health Security Agency
- Alessandra Harley
- Reference Services Division, UK Health Security Agency
- Karen Broughton
- Reference Services Division, UK Health Security Agency
- Chenchal Dhami
- Reference Services Division, UK Health Security Agency
- Mark Ganner
- Reference Services Division, UK Health Security Agency
- Marjorie A. Ganner
- Reference Services Division, UK Health Security Agency
- Zaynab Mumin
- Reference Services Division, UK Health Security Agency
- Maryam Razaei
- Reference Services Division, UK Health Security Agency
- Emma Rundberg
- Reference Services Division, UK Health Security Agency
- Rufat Mammadov
- Reference Services Division, UK Health Security Agency
- Ewurabena A. Mills
- Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London
- Vincenzo Sgro
- Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London
- Kai Yi Mok
- Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London
- Xavier Didelot
- School of Life Sciences and Department of Statistics, University of Warwick
- Nicholas J. Croucher
- School of Public Health, Imperial College London
- Elita Jauneikaite
- NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and AMR, Imperial College London
- Theresa Lamagni
- NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and AMR, Imperial College London
- Colin S. Brown
- NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and AMR, Imperial College London
- Juliana Coelho
- NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and AMR, Imperial College London
- Shiranee Sriskandan
- Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-47929-7
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 15,
no. 1
pp. 1 – 11
Abstract
Abstract The UK observed a marked increase in scarlet fever and invasive group A streptococcal infection in 2022 with severe outcomes in children and similar trends worldwide. Here we report lineage M1UK to be the dominant source of invasive infections in this upsurge. Compared with ancestral M1global strains, invasive M1UK strains exhibit reduced genomic diversity and fewer mutations in two-component regulator genes covRS. The emergence of M1UK is dated to 2008. Following a bottleneck coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic, three emergent M1UK clades underwent rapid nationwide expansion, despite lack of detection in previous years. All M1UK isolates thus-far sequenced globally have a phylogenetic origin in the UK, with dispersal of the new clades in Europe. While waning immunity may promote streptococcal epidemics, the genetic features of M1UK point to a fitness advantage in pathogenicity, and a striking ability to persist through population bottlenecks.
