No abstract available.
Dermatitis* ; Streptococcus pyogenes

1266 school children aged 6-15 years at 10 schools in Hanoi were enrolled into an investigation on Streptococci group A infection. At the pharynx a prevalence of 15.3% was shown. Predominant titre of antibody against streptolysine O was from 25 to 100 Todd units and only 9% had got the titre over 240 units. Alpha hemolytic Streptococcus viridans could be wrongly identified with beta hemolytic one leading to an error to 60% in bacitracine tests. Pseudo-positive identification may happened in ASLO test if the sample of serum had been infected
Streptococcus pyogenes ; epidemiology ; pupil ; diagnosis

This 1-year prospective open trial was conducted on 777 children aged from 3 to 16 years old, who visited for acute sore throat and had at least one sign of pharyngitis. Data of demographic information, history of illness and use of antibiotics within recent days was documented. Clinical findings, included temperature and 2 pharyngeal swabbing samples (for microbial isolation and for detecting group A Streptococcal -specified antigen by rapid test), was computerized and analysed. Results: Group A Streptococcus was detected in 30.8% of children with acute pharyngitis. There wasn't any factor, including sex, age, and body temperature on admission or illness duration, related to the infection rate. It was found that, however, the infection rate was highest during winter and spring, when it is wet and cold. The mean of infection rate during these seasons was 36.6% and with the peak was 44.2% in March 1998. The rapid test produced the sensitivity of 88.7% and the specificity of 95.7% in this trial.
Streptococcus pyogenes ; Pharyngitis ; infection ; child ; Diagnosis

Streptococcal Infections ; epidemiology ; Streptococcus pyogenes ; genetics ; pathogenicity

No abstract available.
Bacteremia* ; Humans ; Pneumonia* ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive* ; Streptococcus pyogenes* ; Streptococcus*

BACKGROUND: The erythromycin-resistance rate and phenotype distribution of Streptococcus propenes are quite different by geographical variation and study period. The aim of the present study was to determine the evolution of resistance to erythromycin and the frequency of erythromycin resistance phenotype of S. pyogenes isolated from Wonju Christian Hospital. METHODS: The minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of erythromycin and clindamycin for 94 S. pyogenes isolated from clinical specimens between 1990 to 1998 were investigated. Double disk test of erythromycin (78microgram) and clindamycin (25microgram) were performed for 15 isolates of erythromycin resistant S. pyogenes to evaluate the erythromycin resistance phenotype. RESULTS: The resistance rates of 94 isolates of S. pyogenes were 16%(15/94) to erythromycin and 4%(4/94) to clindamycin. The frequency of erythromycin resistance phenotype in decreasing order were M phenotype (47%), inducible resistance phenotype (40%), and constitutive resistance phenotype (13%). Erythromycin-resistant S. pyogenes did not exist until 1993, but was isolated since 1994, and ranged from 14.0% to 24.0% during the period of 1994-1998. CONCLUSIONS: Our finding documents the emergence of high resistance rates to erythromycin in S. pyogenes at Wonju area since 1994. The M phenotype (47%) and inducible resistance phenotype (40%) account for the majority of erythromycin-resistant S. pyogenes.
Clindamycin ; Erythromycin* ; Gangwon-do ; Phenotype* ; Streptococcus pyogenes* ; Streptococcus*

Bacterial Typing Techniques ; Genes, Bacterial ; genetics ; Streptococcus pyogenes ; classification ; genetics

To determine the carrier rate of beta-hemolytic streptococci (BHS), throat cultures were taken from healthy elementary school children in four separate areas of Korea from 1992 to 1995, including Inje, Nonsan, Seoul and Chinju. The strains of Streptococcus pyogenes had been serotyped with anti-T, -OF and -M sera. The isolation rates of BHS and S. pyogenes ranged from 14.1-32.4% and 10.9-18.5% respectively. More than half of the carriers showed heavy growth of BHS. M78 (48.6%) and M28 (22.2%) were most common in Inje, M12 (23.6%) and M5 (20.3%) in Nonsan, M12 (48.8%) and M5 (14.6%) in Seoul, and M12 (26.3%) and M22 (14.5%) in Chinju, respectively. About 15% of school children were positive for S. pyogenes in throat cultures, and the distribution of serotypes varied according to geographical regions.
Carrier State ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Human ; Male ; Pharynx/microbiology* ; Schools ; Serotyping* ; Streptococcus pyogenes/isolation & purification* ; Streptococcus pyogenes/classification*

BACKGROUND: The mechanism of erythromycin resistance of Streptococcus pyogenes results from target modification or active efflux. The purpose of this study was to determine the positive rate of ermAM gene modifying 23S rRNA and that of mefA gene related with efflux for erythromycin-resistant S. pyogenes. METHODS: The minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of erythromycin, azithromycin, clarithromycin, and clindamycin against S. pyogenes were tested by agar dilution method. ermAM and mefA genes were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for 32 strains of erythromycin-resistant S. pyogenes. RESULTS: Among the 32 erythromycin-resistant S. pyogenes strains, 20 (62.5%) strains were positive for ermAM gene and 10 (31.1%) for mefA gene. Eighteen (90.0%) out of 20 strains with ermAM gene showed high-level erythromycin resistance (MIC> OR =64 microgram/mL), while all ten strains with mefA gene had low-level erythromycin resistance (MIC< OR =16 microgram/mL). CONCLUSION: Two-thirds of the S. pyogenes strains acquired erythromycin resistance by modification of target site, while the others by active efflux. Each mechanism of resistance is closely associated with range of MICs of erythromycin.
Agar ; Azithromycin ; Clarithromycin ; Clindamycin ; Erythromycin ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Streptococcus pyogenes* ; Streptococcus*

Streptococcus pyogenes has been regarded very importantly because of its severe sequelae, namely rheumatic fever and acute glomerulonephropathy. Rapid tests to identify this organism have been studied widely in developed countries in 1980s. We proceeded the rapid test (A Strept ADTM, Denka Seiken Co, Japan) of S. pyogenes on 141 children who were Known to be carriers of this organism to evaluate whether the rapid test could be used at the pediatric office base. Throat cultures were taken simultaneously to evaluate the efficacy of this rapid test. The test shoewed very low sensitivity of 17% (13/14) and high specificity of 99% (65/66). The positive predictive value was.93% (13/14) and negative predictive value 51% (65/127) respectively. Most of the positive results of rapid test have been agreed with the actual number of colonies on the throat culture. The reasons for the low sensitivity and negative predictive value of the rapid test should be discovered and supplemented if it could be applicable to the pediatric office and accurate evaluation of the rapid test in patients with acute pharyngitis is needed.
Child ; Developed Countries ; Humans ; Pharyngitis ; Pharynx ; Rheumatic Fever ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Streptococcus pyogenes* ; Streptococcus*