Abstract:
Th e aim of this study is to evaluate antibiotic susceptibilities, emm gene types, toxin gene profi les and clonal relatedness of group A streptococci
(GAS) isolates obtained from patients and carriers. A total of clinical isolates from patients and isolates from carriers were included
in the study. Emm typing, toxin gene detection for speA, speB, speC, speG and smeZ genes and pulsed-fi eld gel electrophoresis (PFGE) was performed.
Twenty-one distinct emm types were detected; the most common types were emm, emm, emm, emm, emm and emm. Th e
detection rates of both emm types and the toxin genes didn’t diff er signifi cantly between patients and carriers. Th e presence of speA and smeZ
was signifi cantly higher in emm and speG was signifi cantly lower in emm when compared to the other emm types. Th e rate of clustering
obtained with PFGE wasn’t signifi cantly diff erent in patients and carriers. As a result, twelve of the emm types detected in this study were
covered by the -valent vaccine, constituting . of the emm typeable isolates; however the emm type which is one of the most common
types in the present study is not among this coverage.
