Impact of the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic on the Epidemiology of <i>Streptococcus pyogenes</i>: A Five-Year Retrospective Study

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic significantly affected the epidemiology of <i>Streptococcus pyogenes</i>, a pathogen associated with various clinical presentations such as pharyngitis, scarlet fever, and invasive diseases. This study analyzed the incidence and characteristics of <i>S. pyog...

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Main Authors: Patricia Brañas, Fabiola Fontenla, María Victoria Castaño-Amores, Raúl Recio, Irene Muñoz-Gallego, Jennifer Villa, Esther Viedma, Lola Folgueira
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-11-01
Series:Microorganisms
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/12/12/2403
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author Patricia Brañas
Fabiola Fontenla
María Victoria Castaño-Amores
Raúl Recio
Irene Muñoz-Gallego
Jennifer Villa
Esther Viedma
Lola Folgueira
author_facet Patricia Brañas
Fabiola Fontenla
María Victoria Castaño-Amores
Raúl Recio
Irene Muñoz-Gallego
Jennifer Villa
Esther Viedma
Lola Folgueira
author_sort Patricia Brañas
collection DOAJ
description The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic significantly affected the epidemiology of <i>Streptococcus pyogenes</i>, a pathogen associated with various clinical presentations such as pharyngitis, scarlet fever, and invasive diseases. This study analyzed the incidence and characteristics of <i>S. pyogenes</i> infections between 2018 and 2023, examining 915 cases categorized as either respiratory or non-respiratory. Respiratory infections predominantly affected children, accounting for 76% of cases, with a median age of 5 [3, 8] years, while non-respiratory infections were more common in adults, with a median age of 46.5 [34, 64] years. Invasive respiratory infections, such as pneumonia and empyema, were more frequent in children (54.8%), whereas invasive non-respiratory infections, such as primarily cellulitis, were predominantly seen in adults (90.5%). A sharp decline in <i>S. pyogenes</i> infections was observed during the pandemic, with respiratory cases decreasing tenfold in 2020 compared to the previous year, and non-respiratory cases experiencing a twofold reduction. However, infection rates returned to pre-pandemic levels by 2022 and 2023, with a notable resurgence of invasive respiratory infections in children following a public health alert in the United Kingdom in late 2022. These findings highlight distinct infection patterns between pediatric and adult populations and emphasize the significant impact of the pandemic on respiratory infections, particularly in children.
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spelling doaj-art-2a656f39a6674faf8a8cea6ffd82d2a32024-12-27T14:41:03ZengMDPI AGMicroorganisms2076-26072024-11-011212240310.3390/microorganisms12122403Impact of the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic on the Epidemiology of <i>Streptococcus pyogenes</i>: A Five-Year Retrospective StudyPatricia Brañas0Fabiola Fontenla1María Victoria Castaño-Amores2Raúl Recio3Irene Muñoz-Gallego4Jennifer Villa5Esther Viedma6Lola Folgueira7Microbiology Department, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Avda. Córdoba s/n, 28041 Madrid, SpainMicrobiology Department, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Avda. Córdoba s/n, 28041 Madrid, SpainMicrobiology Department, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Avda. Córdoba s/n, 28041 Madrid, SpainMicrobiology Department, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Avda. Córdoba s/n, 28041 Madrid, SpainMicrobiology Department, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Avda. Córdoba s/n, 28041 Madrid, SpainMicrobiology Department, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Avda. Córdoba s/n, 28041 Madrid, SpainMicrobiology Department, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Avda. Córdoba s/n, 28041 Madrid, SpainMicrobiology Department, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Avda. Córdoba s/n, 28041 Madrid, SpainThe SARS-CoV-2 pandemic significantly affected the epidemiology of <i>Streptococcus pyogenes</i>, a pathogen associated with various clinical presentations such as pharyngitis, scarlet fever, and invasive diseases. This study analyzed the incidence and characteristics of <i>S. pyogenes</i> infections between 2018 and 2023, examining 915 cases categorized as either respiratory or non-respiratory. Respiratory infections predominantly affected children, accounting for 76% of cases, with a median age of 5 [3, 8] years, while non-respiratory infections were more common in adults, with a median age of 46.5 [34, 64] years. Invasive respiratory infections, such as pneumonia and empyema, were more frequent in children (54.8%), whereas invasive non-respiratory infections, such as primarily cellulitis, were predominantly seen in adults (90.5%). A sharp decline in <i>S. pyogenes</i> infections was observed during the pandemic, with respiratory cases decreasing tenfold in 2020 compared to the previous year, and non-respiratory cases experiencing a twofold reduction. However, infection rates returned to pre-pandemic levels by 2022 and 2023, with a notable resurgence of invasive respiratory infections in children following a public health alert in the United Kingdom in late 2022. These findings highlight distinct infection patterns between pediatric and adult populations and emphasize the significant impact of the pandemic on respiratory infections, particularly in children.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/12/12/2403<i>Streptpcoccus pyogenes</i>group A <i>Streptococcus</i> (GAS)pandemicinvasive infectionepidemiology
spellingShingle Patricia Brañas
Fabiola Fontenla
María Victoria Castaño-Amores
Raúl Recio
Irene Muñoz-Gallego
Jennifer Villa
Esther Viedma
Lola Folgueira
Impact of the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic on the Epidemiology of <i>Streptococcus pyogenes</i>: A Five-Year Retrospective Study
Microorganisms
<i>Streptpcoccus pyogenes</i>
group A <i>Streptococcus</i> (GAS)
pandemic
invasive infection
epidemiology
title Impact of the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic on the Epidemiology of <i>Streptococcus pyogenes</i>: A Five-Year Retrospective Study
title_full Impact of the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic on the Epidemiology of <i>Streptococcus pyogenes</i>: A Five-Year Retrospective Study
title_fullStr Impact of the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic on the Epidemiology of <i>Streptococcus pyogenes</i>: A Five-Year Retrospective Study
title_full_unstemmed Impact of the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic on the Epidemiology of <i>Streptococcus pyogenes</i>: A Five-Year Retrospective Study
title_short Impact of the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic on the Epidemiology of <i>Streptococcus pyogenes</i>: A Five-Year Retrospective Study
title_sort impact of the sars cov 2 pandemic on the epidemiology of i streptococcus pyogenes i a five year retrospective study
topic <i>Streptpcoccus pyogenes</i>
group A <i>Streptococcus</i> (GAS)
pandemic
invasive infection
epidemiology
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/12/12/2403
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