Enterotoxin B is the predominant toxin involved in staphylococcal scarlet fever in Taiwan

Clin Infect Dis. 2004 May 15;38(10):1498-502. doi: 10.1086/392501. Epub 2004 Apr 29.

Abstract

This study retrospectively reviewed all pediatric cases of staphylococcal scarlet fever (SSF) that occurred during a 10-year period in a 1400-bed tertiary medical center in northern Taiwan. All 20 cases of SSF occurred in previously healthy individuals. Skin and soft-tissue infections predominated among children from whom Staphylococcus aureus was isolated. Polymerase chain reaction testing was used to detect known staphylococcal toxin genes, and of the isolates studied, most (18 [90%] of 20) contained only the staphylococcal enterotoxin B. One of the other strains was positive for staphylococcal enterotoxin A only, and the last strain was positive for both staphylococcal enterotoxin G and staphylococcal enterotoxin I. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis identified a small cluster of isolates (6 [30%] of 20) that were genetically related, but these strains came from epidemiologically unrelated patients during a 3-year period.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Enterotoxins / genetics
  • Enterotoxins / isolation & purification
  • Enterotoxins / metabolism
  • Enterotoxins / physiology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Male
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Scarlet Fever / metabolism
  • Scarlet Fever / microbiology*
  • Staphylococcus aureus / chemistry
  • Staphylococcus aureus / classification
  • Staphylococcus aureus / genetics
  • Staphylococcus aureus / isolation & purification*
  • Superantigens / genetics
  • Superantigens / isolation & purification
  • Superantigens / metabolism

Substances

  • Enterotoxins
  • Superantigens
  • enterotoxin G, staphylococcal
  • enterotoxin B, staphylococcal