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

• DOI: 10.1007/s00414-020-02421-x
• Publication Date: 2020-09-07T23:04:36Z
• Authors: Dong Qu; Dong-Fang Qiao; Michael Klintschar; Zhi Qu; Xia Yue
• Keywords: 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; 3. Good health

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.