Bacterial interference in the throat flora during a streptococcal tonsillitis outbreak in an apartment house area.
During an outbreak of streptococcal tonsillitis in an apartment house area the interfering capacity of alpha-hemolytic streptococci isolated from the inhabitants' throat flora on the beta-hemolytic streptococcal strains recovered during the outbreak was investigated. Strains of alpha-streptococci with an inhibiting capacity on beta-streptococci were isolated mainly from individuals seemingly resistant to streptococcal tonsillitis while patients with repeated tonsillitis often had beta-streptococcal strains inhibiting the growth of the patients own alpha-streptococcal flora. Inhibiting alpha-streptococcal strains were isolated in high frequency in healthy patients that had recently recovered from tonsillitis.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000453:epidemiology; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008875:Middle Aged; D010614:Pharynx / Q000382:microbiology*; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes; D013548:Sweden; D014069:Tonsillitis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*