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# Scotland's post-pandemic invasive strep A surge involved no new hypervirulent clone
- URL: https://www.coios.me/scotland-s-post-pandemic-invasive-strep-a-surge-involved-no/
- Published: 2026-09-20T09:34:02.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-20T09:34:01.000Z
- Description: Surveillance of 3,408 invasive group A streptococcus infections in Scotland from 2014 to 2024, with whole-genome sequencing of 404 emm1 isolates, found the late-2022 surge coincided with influenza and RSV activity rather than a genetically distinct clone.
- Author: Daniel Ryan
- Tags: Healthcare today, Infectious disease and pandemics, United Kingdom, #peer-reviewed, #refines, #item, #source-2026-09

National Scottish surveillance data covering 3,408 invasive group A streptococcus infections between 2014 and 2024 were analysed alongside hybrid whole-genome sequencing of 404 emm1 isolates from invasive and tonsillitis cases. Incidence rose sharply in late 2022 and early 2023, disproportionately in children and older adults, coinciding with increased influenza and RSV circulation, but without a proportional rise in bacteraemia. Post-pandemic emm1 isolates were indistinguishable from pre-pandemic ones across genome-wide polymorphisms, accessory genes, mobile elements and structural variants.

*Why it is interesting: Separates two explanations for a post-pandemic bacterial surge, attributing it to host susceptibility and viral co-infection rather than pathogen evolution.*

Source

[Journal of Infection, 18 September 2026](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jinf.2026.106860?ref=coios.me)

DOI

10.1016/j.jinf.2026.106860

Type

Peer-reviewed article

Design

National surveillance of 3,408 invasive group A streptococcus infections in Scotland 2014-2024, with hybrid whole-genome sequencing of 404 emm1 isolates

Verdict

Refines prior evidence

Driver

[Infectious disease and pandemics](https://www.coios.me/d-infectious-disease/)