Addressing the burden of group A streptococcal disease in India.
Group A streptococcus-associated disease and sequelae continue to have devastating effects on public health and national economy as they mainly affect children and young adults. There is an urgent need for wider application of methods of primary prevention, in the form of optimal diagnosis and management of the simple group A streptococcal sore throat. This review article briefly summarizes the burden of streptococcal disease in India, and discusses treatment options standardized by the World Health Organization. Penicillin continues to remain the drug of choice for treating group A streptococcal pharyngitis and for prevention of acute rheumatic fever in non-allergic patients. Also discussed in this review are contemporary thoughts on streptococcal "carriers", recurrent infections, antibiotic treatment "failures" and emergence of drug resistance among group A streptococci.
Shet
Anita
A
Department of Pediatrics, WHO, Collaborating Center for Reference and Research on Streptococci, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis 55455, USA.
Kaplan
Edward
E
D000293:Adolescent; D017677:Age Distribution; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002353:Carrier State; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003906:Developing Countries; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D018570:Risk Assessment; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification*
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents