Distribution of Phage-Associated Virulence Genes in Pharyngeal Group A Streptococcal Strains Isolated in Italy▿

The presence and assortment of 16 known virulence/resistance genetic determinants carried by prophages or prophage-like elements were tested in 212 clinical group A Streptococcus (GAS) strains and related to available data from SmaI macrorestriction/pulsed-field gel electrophoresis analysis and emm typing. A strong correlation existed among the three analyses. This finding supports the substantial contribution to the evolution and diversification of the GAS genome attributed to phages