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A case of severe soft tissue infection due to Streptococcus tigurinus diagnosed by necropsy in which genomic analysis was useful for clarifying its pathogenicity
Author(s) -
Yoshizawa Hidenori,
Motooka Daisuke,
Matsumoto Yuki,
Katada Ryuichi,
Nakamura Shota,
Morii Eiichi,
Iida Tetsuya,
Matsumoto Hiroshi
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
pathology international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.73
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1440-1827
pISSN - 1320-5463
DOI - 10.1111/pin.12656
Subject(s) - autopsy , pathogenicity , virulence , pathogenicity island , biology , pathology , fasciitis , pathological , disease , whole genome sequencing , cause of death , infectious disease (medical specialty) , genome , medicine , microbiology and biotechnology , gene , genetics , surgery
Post‐mortem detection of pathogenetic microorganisms in severe infectious death is significantly important for diagnosing the cause of death as well as for public health. However, it is difficult to recognize whether a microorganism detected from post‐mortem materials is truly pathogenic or not. We report a case of severe soft tissue infection due to Streptococcus oralis subsp. tigurinus ( S. tigurinus ), a recently reported species, in which whole‐genome analysis was performed to clarify its pathogenicity. A 46‐year‐old woman had died with symptoms of a severe infectious disease. A post‐mortem examination was performed by a medical examiner. The external findings suggested a soft tissue infection; subsequently, pathological specimens sampled by necropsy revealed findings compatible with necrotizing fasciitis. In the post‐mortem bacterial test, S. tigurinus was detected from the localized autopsy sample. Whole‐genome sequencing was performed to analyze its pathogenicity and detected a strain of S. tigurinus with genetic determinants that were specific and unique to its highly virulent strains as a result of gene annotation. Utilizing various technologies, such as whole‐genome sequencing, may be a powerful tool for diagnosing the cause of infectious death accurately and safely.