title: A family cluster of five cases of group A streptococcal pneumonia.
abstract: A cluster of 5 family members, a mother and 4 children, were hospitalized for severe group A Streptococcus (GAS) pneumonia. Three family members had complications: sepsis (1), empyema (2), and a sterile parapneumonic effusion (1). Two additional family members had symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection, and 1 was hospitalized for these symptoms. GAS was isolated from the blood of 1 patient, the pleural fluid of 2 patients, and the oropharynx of 6 patients. Pulsed field gel electrophoresis testing revealed an identical deoxyribonucleic acid pattern in all 7 isolates. Genotyping revealed the speA gene and serotyping the T-1, M-1 serotype in all isolates. This family cluster of invasive GAS disease is the largest reported to date, with an attack rate of 41.7% (5 of 12 family members). This report provides further support for antibiotic prophylaxis of close contacts of individuals with invasive GAS disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA.
authors.forename: Sumita
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Roy
authors.forename: Edward L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Kaplan
authors.forename: Benigno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
authors.forename: John R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Schreiber
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Salata
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Palavecino
authors.forename: Chandy C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: John
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D002648:Child; D016358:Contact Tracing; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D018562:Disease Transmission, Infectious / Q000517:prevention & control; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D016724:Empyema, Pleural / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology / Q000601:surgery; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010612:Pharyngitis / Q000382:microbiology; D018410:Pneumonia, Bacterial / Q000382:microbiology; D012703:Serotyping; D012772:Shock, Septic / Q000382:microbiology; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000601:surgery / Q000635:transmission; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004269:DNA, Bacterial