Outbreak of postpartum group a Streptococcus infections on a labor and delivery unit

Michael Haden; Christina Liscynesky; Nora Colburn; Justin Smyer; Kimberly Malcolm; Iahn Gonsenhauser; Kara M Rood; Patrick Schneider; Michele Hardgrow; Preeti Pancholi; Keelie Thomas; Anita Cygnor; Oluseun Aluko; Elizabeth Koch; Naomi Tucker; Jade Mowery; Eric Brandt; Katie Cibulskas; Marika Mohr; Srinivas Nanduri; Sopio Chochua; Shandra R Day

doi:10.1017/ice.2024.82

Outbreak of postpartum group a Streptococcus infections on a labor and delivery unit

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2024 May 14;45(9):1-3. doi: 10.1017/ice.2024.82. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Michael Haden¹, Christina Liscynesky^{2

3}, Nora Colburn^{2

3}, Justin Smyer³, Kimberly Malcolm³, Iahn Gonsenhauser⁴, Kara M Rood⁵, Patrick Schneider⁵, Michele Hardgrow⁶, Preeti Pancholi⁷, Keelie Thomas⁸, Anita Cygnor⁹, Oluseun Aluko¹⁰, Elizabeth Koch¹⁰, Naomi Tucker¹⁰, Jade Mowery¹¹, Eric Brandt¹¹, Katie Cibulskas¹², Marika Mohr¹², Srinivas Nanduri¹³, Sopio Chochua¹³, Shandra R Day^{2

3}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Denver, CO, USA.
² Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA.
³ Clinical Epidemiology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA.
⁴ Lee Memorial Health System, Fort Myers, FL, USA.
⁵ Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA.
⁶ Occupational Health and Wellness, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA.
⁷ Department of Pathology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA.
⁸ Clinical Microbiology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA.
⁹ Department of Women and Infants, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA.
¹⁰ Columbus Public Health, Columbus, OH, USA.
¹¹ The Ohio Department of Health Laboratory, Reynoldsburg, OH, USA.
¹² The Ohio Department of Health, Columbus, OH, USA.
¹³ Respiratory Diseases Branch, Division of Bacterial Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.

Abstract

A healthcare-associated group A Streptococcus outbreak involving six patients, four healthcare workers, and one household contact occurred in the labor and delivery unit of an academic medical center. Isolates were highly related by whole genome sequencing. Infection prevention measures, healthcare worker screening, and chemoprophylaxis of those colonized halted further transmission.