Bacteria are just as vulnerable to mutations as the viruses. And one of those bacteria that have gone through changes is strep.
A group of researchers from the Imperial College of London has confirmed that there's a new variant for streptococcus bacteria, and it's just as sinister, if not more harmful, than the ones that have already existed.
Based on their study, which is already published in mBio, the new variant is actually a sub-type of an existing strain of strep called emm89. Emm89, meanwhile, belongs to group A strep, which is one of the most notorious among bacterial infections. They can cause strep throat or inflammation of tonsils, but they can also be more invasive, in which case they become more dangerous and deadlier.
However, this sub-type of emm89 still has marked differences over the others. First, it tends to release more toxins in the body than the other types of strep bacteria. In fact, the discovery is brought about by their investigation as to why there was a sudden surge of group A strep cases from emm89 between the years of 1998 and 2009. The discovery of the strain, it turns out, matches the sharp increase not only in the UK but also in other countries such as Sweden.
Further, this particular sub-type no longer has an outer capsule. As explained by the researchers, strep bacteria traditionally have capsules to allow them to become more invasive. But with the missing capsule, they believe that contamination or the spread of the disease will be a lot faster since the bacteria can now adhere themselves better to surfaces. They also think that the lack of capsules means the new variant can already penetrate the body more conveniently, thereby making it possibly a lot harder to manage.
If there's a glimmer of hope, this new variant still remains receptive to the effects of penicillin, so as long as it's caught early, the chances of survival are very high.