Mechanism of epidemic bacterial disease identified
Tuesday, August 11, 2015 - 08:51
in Biology & Nature
Through identification of increased toxin production by epidemic forms of group A streptococcus (the 'flesh-eating' bacterium), for the first time scientists are able to pinpoint the molecular events that contribute to large intercontinental epidemics of disease. The study was based on sequencing almost 5,000 group A streptococcus genomes collected over decades.