STREPTOCOCCUS-PYOGENES HOSPITAL-ACQUIRED INFECTION WITHIN A DERMATOLOGICAL WARD

Seventeen strains of Streptococcus pyogenes were isolated from 17 pati ents in the Dermatological Ward of Gunma University Hospital in Japan between June 1994 and March 1995. Of these 17 strains, 14 were isolate d from the pus of skin infections, two from blood, and one from asciti c fluid. The strains showed the same minimum inhibitory concentrations ; 4 mg/L of minomycin, 4 mg/L of ofloxacin and 16 mg/L of fosfomycin. T-antigen typing of the strains indicated they were T11 type. The rest riction endonuclease digestion patterns of chromosomal DNA from the 17 strains were all identical. The vinyl sheet covering the bed on which the patients were treated was found to be contaminated with S. pyogen es. This strain showed identical characteristics to the strains derive d from the patients. These results suggest that S. pyogenes was transm itted to patients in the Dermatological Ward from the surface of the v inyl sheer covering the bed.