title: Risk for severe group A streptococcal disease among patients' household contacts.
abstract: From January 1997 to April 1999, we determined attack rates for cases of invasive group A streptococcal (GAS) disease in household contacts of index patients using data from Active Bacterial Core Surveillance sites. Of 680 eligible index-patient households, 525 (77.2%) were enrolled in surveillance. Of 1,514 household contacts surveyed, 127 (8.4%) sought medical care, 24 (1.6%) required hospital care, and none died during the 30-day reference period. One confirmed GAS case in a household contact was reported (attack rate, 66.1/100,000 household contacts). One household contact had severe GAS-compatible illness without confirmed etiology. Our study suggests that subsequent cases of invasive GAS disease can occur, albeit rarely. The risk estimate from this study is important for developing recommendations on the use of chemoprophylaxis for household contacts of persons with invasive GAS disease.
authors.affiliation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30333, USA. kad2@cdc.gov
authors.forename: Katherine A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.forename: Gretchen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rothrock
authors.forename: Quyen
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Phan
authors.forename: Brenda
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sayler
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Stefonek
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Van Beneden
authors.forename: Orin S
authors.initials: OS
authors.lastname: Levine
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009864:Ontario / Q000453:epidemiology; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012307:Risk Factors; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes / Q000472:pathogenicity*