title: Carriage of Streptococcus pyogenes among infants and toddlers attending day-care facilities in closed communities in southern Israel.
abstract: Infants and toddlers attending ten day-care facilities in closed communities in southern Israel were tested monthly for pharyngeal carriage of Streptococcus pyogenes and associated respiratory morbidity. Overall, the prevalence of Streptococcus pyogenes was 2.7% in infants and 8.4% in toddlers, reaching 8.5% and 17.8% in the two groups, respectively by midwinter. In 4 of 61 (6.6%) infants and 15 of 67 (22.4%) toddlers, the organism was recovered in more than one month (range 2 to 5 months). Streptococcus pyogenes in the pharynx was only associated with rhinitis during the spring and summer but not with other respiratory symptoms. During the study period, a mean of 0.9 strains were isolated in day-care facilities attended by infants, while a mean of 2.1 strains were found in toddlers. Young children attending day-care facilities show early acquisition of Streptococcus pyogenes in the pharynx.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, Soroka Medical Center Ben-Gunion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Yagupsky
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Landau
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Beck
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dagan
mesh_terms: D002353:Carrier State / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D002656:Child Day Care Centers; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D010614:Pharynx / Q000382:microbiology; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes / Q000302:isolation & purification*