NAD-Glycohydrolase Production and speA and speC Distribution in Group A Streptococcus (GAS) Isolates Do Not Correlate with Severe GAS Diseases in the Australian Population

Streptococcus pyogenes isolates from a tropical region and a subtropical region of Australia with high and low incidences of severe streptococcal diseases, respectively, were analyzed for speA, speB, and speC gene distributions and NAD-glycohydrolase expression. No direct correlation of these characteristics with a propensity to cause invasive diseases was observed.