Family outbreak of fatal Yersinia enterocolitica pharyngitis.
A family outbreak of fatal Yersinia enterocolitica pharyngitis is reported. Two members of a family were hospitalized for pharyngitis and posed a diagnostic dilemma until cultures of throat, blood, and stool revealed Y. enterocolitica. Neither patient responded to erythromycin therapy. The first patient died, and her husband's life-threatening illness seemed to respond to aminoglycoside and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole therapy. Y. enterocolitica should be considered as an etiologic agent in the differential diagnosis of a patient with pharyngitis whose condition deteriorates during erythromycin or penicillin therapy.
D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010612:Pharyngitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics*; D015009:Yersinia Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics*; D015008:Yersinia enterocolitica