title: The family pet as an unlikely source of group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal infection in humans.
abstract: This study examines the possibility of the family pet serving as a reservoir for group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal infections in humans. We obtained oropharyngeal cultures from children with acute pharyngitis and concurrent oropharyngeal cultures from their household pets. Children with culture-proved group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal pharyngitis were detected in 26 of 42 households surveyed. Oropharyngeal cultures were also collected from a group of children without pharyngitis and their pets. Additionally 149 dogs and cats from a local veterinary hospital were cultured from 371 body sites including the oropharynx, axilla and vagina. All beta-hemolytic bacterial isolates were identified by colonial and microscopic morphology, catalase and pyrrolidonylarylamidase production, bacitracin susceptibility and serogrouping. No group A beta-hemolytic streptococci were recovered from any of the body sites surveyed from a total of 230 animals. Based on these findings, the family pet seems to be an unlikely reservoir for group A beta-hemolytic streptococci.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas 75235-9072, USA.
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Maroney
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Gander
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D000829:Animals, Domestic / Q000382:microbiology*; D002415:Cats; D002648:Child; D004199:Disease Vectors; D004285:Dogs; D006801:Humans; D010612:Pharyngitis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D012016:Reference Values; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000635:transmission*; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes / Q000302:isolation & purification*