Streptococcus pyogenes is the bacterium most frequently isolated from patients with pharyngitis. Although various antibiotics including penicillin are effective, antibiotic treatment failure in cases of streptococcal pharyngitis have been reported. Herein, we investigated mechanisms associated with recurrent streptococcal pharyngitis. Clinically isolated S. pyogenes strains showed strain-specific features, with emm12 strains most frequently detected and emm6 strains more likely to produce biofilm. ... After treatments with high concentrations of antibiotics, S. pyogenes survived in biofilm even when dead bacterial cells covered the surface. ... Additionally, more than half of the strains temporarily escaped killing by penicillin alone by internalization into epithelial cells, even when the antibiotic concentration used was greater than the 10-fold minimum inhibitory concentration. Also, combined administrations of multiple antibiotics were more effective to eradicate strains more likely to be internalized.Oh bloody hell. Frikking Frakking Frankenfck.
These findings suggest that S. pyogenes isolated from patients with recurrent streptococcal pharyngitis have emm type-specific features that allow escape from eradication by antibiotics.
You'd think they might have thought of that a couple decades ago.
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