title: Intra-familial transmission of life-threatening group A streptococcal infection.
abstract: Invasive group A streptococcal (GAS) infections have been of increasing concern worldwide during the past 15 years. Spread of group A streptococci to contacts with resulting invasive infection has been reported in families, in residential nursing homes, and even from patients to health care workers. We report an instance of temporally related life-threatening group A streptococcal infection in a husband and 2 weeks later in his wife. This example further emphasizes the need for careful observation among family members and other close contacts of patients with invasive group A streptococcal infection. Although at present there are no universal recommendations for monitoring or for antibiotic prophylaxis of close contacts of persons with invasive GAS infection, when added to existing literature, this report suggests additional consideration is required.
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Coney Island Hospital and State Univeristy of New York Health Science Center at Brooklyn, New York 11235, USA.
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Recco
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Zaman
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cortes
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Colucci
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Poomkudy
authors.forename: E L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Kaplan
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D018562:Disease Transmission, Infectious; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012703:Serotyping; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000635:transmission*; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013582:Synovial Fluid / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents