Association of penicillin-tolerant streptococci with epidemics of streptococcal pharyngitis in closed communities.
The association of penicillin-tolerant streptococci with reported epidemics of streptococcal pharyngitis in Israel was studied. The streptococcal strains had been isolated during 11 epidemics of community-acquired pharyngitis and 6 food-borne epidemics of pharyngitis occurring in the last 15 years. Strains were stocked lyophilized. Isolates were defined as tolerant if the MBC/MIC ratio for penicillin was greater than or equal to 32. All 122 group A streptococcal strains isolated during the epidemics of community-acquired infection showed tolerance to penicillin. In contrast, none of the 52 strains from food-borne epidemics (24 group A, 18 group C and 8 group G) was tolerant.
Dagan
R
R
Pediatric Infectious Disease Unit, Soroka University Medical Center, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
Ferne
M
M
D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004361:Drug Tolerance; D005516:Food Microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel; D010406:Penicillins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010612:Pharyngitis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000635:transmission; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000635:transmission; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification
D010406:Penicillins