Outbreak of group A streptococcus septicemia in children

Article Abstract:

Group A streptococcus infections are responsible for many diseases that are common in childhood, such as scarlet fever and rheumatic fever. The incidence of these diseases was greatly reduced after penicillin became widely available. Recently, however, there has been a surge in the number of reported cases of these types of infections, which might mean that bacterial strains resistant to antibiotics have evolved. An outbreak of group A streptococcus septicemia (infection of the blood) in a group of children in Denver was studied. The laboratory records from the Children's Hospital in Denver were reviewed for the period from January 1980 to December 1990. Patients identified as having an infection with group A streptococcus were contacted and the organisms isolated were examined. Thirty-four patients had experienced such infections, of which 14 (41 percent) occurred in 1989 and 1990 and 71 percent occurred since 1985. The children ranged in age from three days to 19 years of age. Factors making the children vulnerable to infection included cancer in 19 (58 percent) of the children and Down syndrome in three. The location of the initial site of infection could be determined for 17 of the patients. The bacteria isolated were all strains of beta hemolytic streptococcus, and they were all susceptible to treatment with penicillin. These results bring into question the popular assumption that group A streptococcal diseases dramatically decreased in incidence just after penicillin became widely available. Research from that period suggests the drop-off began before the introduction of penicillin. The decreases and increases in incidence of these infections could be caused by cyclic changes in the bacterial strains. It now seems that more virulent strains of group A streptococcus have evolved and are responsible for the increased number of these infections recently seen in children. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Reports, Statistics, Genetic aspects, Epidemiological research, Cross sectional studies, Septicemia

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Association of group C beta-hemolytic streptococci with endemic pharyngitis among college students

Article Abstract:

To learn more regarding the role of non-group A beta-hemolytic streptococci (BHS) in causing symptoms of infection, throat cultures were performed on 232 college students with pharyngitis. Pharyngitis is a throat inflammation; symptoms are sore throat, fever, chills, and headache, among others. Throat cultures were also performed on 198 students who did not have pharyngitis (the controls). One hundred twenty-five isolates of BHS were obtained from the pharyngitis patients with positive throat cultures (117 patients), and 65 isolates were obtained from the 62 controls with positive cultures. Group A BHS isolates were detected more often in patients than controls. Group C BHS (a non-group A BHS) was also found more frequently in patients than controls, usually during the winter months. These patients had a higher rate of fever, headache, tonsillitis, and swollen glands in the neck than patients who were negative for group C BHS. The results show that there is an epidemiologic association between group C BHS and pharyngitis in college students. Further studies will be needed to determine whether these streptococci actually cause pharyngitis. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Testing, Causes of, Identification and classification, Pharyngitis, Sore throat

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