The incidence rate for scarlet fever in South Korea is rising. During 2008-2015, we collected group A Streptococcus isolates and performed emm and exotoxin genotyping and disk-diffusion antimicrobial tests. Scarlet fever in South Korea was most closely associated with emm types emm4, emm28, emm1, and emm3. In 2015, tetracycline resistance started increasing.
Keywords: South Korea; Streptococcus pyogenes; antimicrobial resistance; bacteria; disk diffusion antimicrobial tests; emm; exotoxin; group A strep; scarlet fever; streptococci; virulence factors.