Upper respiratory tract spread of group B streptococci type I b in a kindergarten.
In a kindergarten with 42 children and 17 female staff members, an epidemic of group B streptococcal carriage in the upper respiratory tract occurred. In the middle of February 1978, 6 children and 5 adults carried type I b streptococci in the throat while only 2 of these 11 were carriers 2 weeks later. Only one other streptococcus, belonging to type II, was found in the throat specimens. Five strains other than type I b were found in the urogenital tract of the staff. Three type I b throat carriers were also urogenital carriers of this type. The spread of type I b streptococci could have resulted from co-spreading with other upper respiratory tract pathogens found, including group A streptococci of type 12. Haemophilus influenzae, Branhamella catarrhalis and pneumococci. Estimation of antibodies with radiolabelled protein A indicated an immune response to type I b, but not to types I a, II or III group B streptococci in the staff compared with healthy blood donors.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D002353:Carrier State; D002648:Child; D002656:Child Day Care Centers; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006193:Haemophilus influenzae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010614:Pharynx / Q000382:microbiology; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013292:Streptococcus agalactiae / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013548:Sweden; D014566:Urogenital System / Q000382:microbiology
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial