Pharyngotonsillitis due to Arcanobacterium haemolyticum in northern Israel.
BACKGROUND
Arcanobacterium haemolyticum is a well-recognized but uncommon cause of pharyngitis and skin rash in adolescents and young adults. To date, no data regarding its frequency in Israel have been published.


OBJECTIVE
To establish the frequency of A. haemolyticum in throat cultures in a northern Israeli population and to estimate the clinical significance of this pathogen in patients with sore throat.


METHODS
We examined suspected colonies for A haemolyticum by gram stain, catalase test and reverse CAMP test in 518 throat cultures sent to the microbiologic laboratory of HaEmek Medical Center.


RESULTS
Of the throat cultures tested, A. haemolyticum was recovered from one patient (0.2%). In contrast, group A Streptococcus (Streptococcus pyogenes) was recovered from 135 patients (26%).


CONCLUSIONS
A hemolyticum is an uncommon pathogen implicated in acute pharyngitis, therefore routine screening in throat swabs is not required.
Chen
Yael
Y
Infectious Diseases Unit and Microbiology Laboratory, HaEmek Medical Center, Afula, Israel. chen_ya@clalit.org.il
Colodner
Raul
R
Chazan
Bibiana
B
Raz
Raul
R
D000191:Actinomycetaceae / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D000193:Actinomycetales Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007557:Israel; D008875:Middle Aged; D010612:Pharyngitis / Q000382:microbiology*; D014069:Tonsillitis / Q000382:microbiology*