Streptococcus pyogenes isolated in a Tunisian pediatric population: Emm types, T types, virulence factors and genes of resistance to macrolide and tetracycline

five were also resistant to clindamycin. Five strains of genotypes emm11, emm22, emm28, and emm76 expressed the constitutive MLSB phenotype with the presence of the ermB gene alone (3 strains) or in association with the mefA gene (2 strains). One emm4 strain expressed the M phenotype and harboured the mefA gene alone. Conclusion, Significance and Impact of Study: This work provided the molecular characteristics of paediatric S. pyogenes isolates in Tunisia. Our study affirmed that this micro-organism still susceptible to ?-lactam antibiotics but showed an increase in macrolide resistance. We concluded that the epidemiology and the molecular characteristics of S. pyogenes strains were different around the world