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High-throughput 16S rDNA sequencing assisting in the detection of bacterial pathogen candidates: a fatal case of necrotizing fasciitis in a child

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Abstract

Postmortem detection of pathogens in infectious deaths is quite important for diagnosing the cause of death and public health. However, it is difficult to detect possible bacterial pathogens in forensic practice using conventional methods like bacterial culture, especially in cases with putrefaction and antibiotic treatment. We report a fatal case caused by necrotizing fasciitis due to bacterial infection. An 8-year-old girl was found dead during sleep 4 days after a minor trauma to her left knee. The gross autopsy suggested that bacterial soft tissue infection might be the cause of death, and the microscopic examination confirmed the diagnosis. The slight putrefaction found at gross autopsy might interfere through postmortem bacterial translocation and reproduction with bacterial culture. High-throughput 16S rDNA sequencing was employed to identify possible pathogens. Bacterial DNA sequencing results suggested Streptococcus pyogenes and Staphylococcus, typical pathogens of necrotizing fasciitis in the tissue. 16S rDNA sequencing might thus be a useful tool for accurate detection of pathogens in forensic practice.

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Funding

The work was supported by Guangzhou Sci-Tech Project (Grant No. 201804010307 to Xia Yue).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Forensic Pathology, School of Forensic Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China

    Dong Qu, Dong-Fang Qiao & Xia Yue

  2. Institute of Legal Medicine, Hannover Medical School, 30625, Hannover, Germany

    Dong Qu & Michael Klintschar

  3. Institute for Epidemiology, Social Medicine and Health Systems Research, Hannover Medical School, 30625, Hannover, Germany

    Zhi Qu

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  1. Dong Qu
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  2. Dong-Fang Qiao
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  4. Zhi Qu
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Correspondence to Xia Yue.

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Informed consent for publishing this case report was obtained from the direct relative of the decedent.

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Qu, D., Qiao, DF., Klintschar, M. et al. High-throughput 16S rDNA sequencing assisting in the detection of bacterial pathogen candidates: a fatal case of necrotizing fasciitis in a child. Int J Legal Med 135, 399–407 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-020-02421-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-020-02421-x

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