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Volume 31, Number 1—January 2025
Dispatch

Invasive Group B Streptococcus Infections Caused by Hypervirulent Clone of S. agalactiae Sequence Type 283, Hong Kong, China, 20211

Carmen Li2, Herman Tse2, Chendi Zhu, Garnet Kwan Yue Choi, Alfred Lok-Hang Lee, Jun Yang, Norman Wai-Sing Lo, Daisy Tsz-Yung Hui, Christina Kin-Yi Chow, Sandy Ka-Yee Chau, Jimmy Lam, Kristine Luk, Tak-Lun Que, Kitty Sau-Chun Fung, Cindy Tse, Sally Cheuk-Ying Wong, David Christopher Lung, Viola Chi-Ying Chow, and Margaret IpComments to Author 
Author affiliation: The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China (C. Li, C. Zhu, J. Yang, N.W.-S. Lo, M. Ip); Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, Singapore (H. Tse); Hong Kong Children’s Hospital, Hong Kong (G.K.Y. Choi, S.C.-Y. Wong, D.C. Lung); Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong (A.L.-H. Lee, V.C.-Y. Chow); Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Hong Kong (D.T.-Y. Hui, C.K.-Y. Chow, S.C.-Y. Wong, D.C. Lung); United Christian Hospital, Hong Kong (S.K.-Y Chau, K.S.-C. Fung); Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital, Hong Kong (J. Lam); Princess Margaret Hospital, Hong Kong (K. Luk); Tuen Mun Hospital, Hong Kong (T.-L. Que); Kwong Wah Hospital, Hong Kong (C. Tse)

Main Article

Table

Characteristics of patients with group B Streptococcus infection during upsurge of cases in Hong Kong, September 2–November 6 (weeks 35–44), 2021*

Characteristic Total, n = 95 Non-ST283, n = 38 ST283, n = 57 p value†
Age, y
Mean ± SD 66.7 ± 17.8 67.2 ± 24.3 66.4 ± 12 0.7
Range
 0–96
 0–96
 31–90
Age group
<65 39 13 26 0.19
>65
 56
 25
 31
Sex
M 50 20 30 0.58
F
 45
 18
 27
Length of hospital stay, d
Average 24.4 25.7 23.6 0.76
Range
 1–202
 1–202
 1–100
Median (IQR) C-reactive protein, mg/dL NA 7.2 (2.7–11.9) 18.3 (11.6–24.9) <0.001
Median (IQR) Urea, mmol/L NA 7.45 (4.9–11.3) 6.7 (4.8–9.1) 0.03
Death outcome during admission
 8
 3
 5
 1
Specimen
Blood 93 38 55 0.5
Other‡
 2
 0
 2
 NA
Clinical diagnoses/symptoms§
Septicemia/sepsis 43 18 26 0.52
Joint infection 18 3 15 0.02
Skin infection 10 6 4 0.31
Meningitis 7 1 6 0.23
Urinary tract infection 7 5 2 0.31
Pneumonia
 6
 4
 2
 0.21
Comorbidities§
Diabetes mellitus 11 5 6 0.75
History of any tumor/ cancer 7 5 2 0.11
Congestive heart failure 6 2 4 1
Myocardial infarction 3 1 2 1
Cerebrovascular disease 4 1 3 0.64
Moderate to severe renal disease 3 3 0 0.06
Peripheral vascular disease 2 0 2 0.51
Dementia 2 2 0 0.15
Moderate to severe liver disease 2 0 2 0.51
Comorbidity score >2
 5
 3
 2
 0.64
Hospital cluster of cases
Hong Kong East 11 3 8 0.52
Kowloon Central 21 10 11 0.46
Kowloon East 17 6 11 0.79
Kowloon West 21 8 13 1
New Territories East 12 4 8 0.76
New Territories West
 13
 7
 6
 0.36
ST
283 57 NA 57 NA
1 11 11 NA NA
17 4 4 NA NA
890 4 4 NA NA
12 3 3 NA NA
Other¶ 16 16 NA NA

*Values are no. patients except as indicated. Boldface indicate significance. NA, not applicable; IQR, interquartile range; ST, sequence type. †p values were calculated by χ2 test or t-test where appropriate. ‡Includes cerebrospinal fluid, joint fluid, and tissue. §A patient can have multiple symptoms and comorbidities. ¶STs isolated from <2 patients, including ST3, ST7, ST10, ST19, ST28, and ST654 (2 isolates/ST) and 1 each of ST24, ST27, ST452, and ST739.

Main Article

1Preliminary results from this study were presented at the 3rd ISSAD (International Symposium on ‘Streptococcus agalactiae’ Disease); October 16–18, 2023; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

2These first authors contributed equally to this article.

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Page updated: December 22, 2024
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