title: Streptococcal throat carriage in school children with special reference to seasonal incidence.
abstract: A number of studies on throat carriage of beta hemolytic streptococci (BHS) carried out during the years 1972-90 in urban and rural school children from low socioeconomic groups in the age group of 5-15 years in and around Delhi showed an overall carriage rate of BHS varying from 12.2%-64.3% depending upon the season and number of swabs taken. Group A was found to be the most predominant serological group (31.1%-62.6%). The T-typability was found to be 98.2%. The most prevalent T-patterns observed during 1972-78 study were 3/13/B3264 followed by 5/11/12/27/44. A significant difference was observed in the prevalence of T-patterns during the study of 2,034 children from 1979-83 and 3,094 children from 1984-90. When the most prevalent T-patterns were found to be 5/11/12/27/44 followed by 3/13/B3264. The study of the school children from 1972-90 showed the isolation of BHS as well as significant predominance of GAS (p < 0.001) in winter months than summer months. There was no difference in the distribution of carriage of BHS and GAS amongst rural or urban school children. Since RF/RHD are illnesses which were often encountered in school children among socially and economically disadvantaged populations stronger support for streptococcal surveillance programs should be encouraged.
authors.affiliation: WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Training in Streptococcal Diseases, Department of Microbiology, Lady Hardinge Medical College, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Prakash
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lakshmy
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002353:Carrier State / Q000382:microbiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D010614:Pharynx / Q000382:microbiology*; D012621:Seasons; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D013291:Streptococcus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes / Q000302:isolation & purification*