title: Invasive group a streptococcal infections, Israel.
abstract: We conducted a prospective, nationwide, population-based study of invasive group A streptococcal infections in Israel. We identified 409 patients (median age 27 years; range <1-92), for an annual incidence of 3.7/100,000 (11/100,000 in Jerusalem). The mortality rate was 5%. Bacteremia occurred in 125 cases (31%). The most common illnesses were soft-tissue infection (63%) and primary bacteremia (14%). Thirty percent of patients had no identifiable risk factors for infection. Eighty-seven percent of pharyngeal carriers had the same serotype as the index patient. M types included M3 (25%), M28 (10%), and M-nontypable (33%). A marked paucity of M1 serotype (1.2%) was detected. The results highlighted concentrated pockets of invasive disease in the Jewish orthodox community (annual incidence 16/100,000).
authors.affiliation: Hadassah University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Isreal. MOSESA@MD2.HUJI.AC.IL
authors.forename: Allon E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Moses
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Goldberg
authors.forename: Zinaida
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Korenman
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ravins
authors.forename: Emanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hanski
authors.forename: Mervyn
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shapiro
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D007585:Jews; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012703:Serotyping; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000401:mortality; D013291:Streptococcus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity