Clinical and epidemiological features of group A streptococcal bacteraemia in a region with hyperendemic superficial streptococcal infection.
Reports of increasing incidence and severity of invasive group A streptococcal (GAS) infections come mainly from affluent populations where exposure to GAS is relatively infrequent. We conducted a 6-year retrospective review of GAS bacteraemia in the Northern Territory of Australia, comparing the Aboriginal population (24% of the study population), who have high rates of other streptococcal infections and sequelae, to the non-Aboriginal population. Of 72 episodes, 44 (61%) were in Aboriginal patients. All 12 cases in children were Aboriginal. Risk factors were implicated in 82% of episodes (91% in adults) and there was no significant difference in the proportion of Aboriginal compared to non-Aboriginal patients with at least one risk factor. Genetic typing of isolates revealed no dominant strains and no evidence of a clone which has been a common cause of these infections elsewhere.
Carapetis
J R
JR
Menzies School of Health Research and Royal Darwin Hospital, Darwin, Australia.
Walker
A M
AM
Hibble
M
M
Sriprakash
K S
KS
Currie
B J
BJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019353:Endemic Diseases / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015876:Northern Territory / Q000453:epidemiology; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012703:Serotyping; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes / Q000145:classification*