[Spread of S. pyogenes to the caretakers and relatives from nasopharyngeal carrier children attended in a day care center].
OBJECTIVE
to evaluate the prevalence of nasopharyngeal S. pyogenes (SP) carriers among children attending a day care center (DCC) and the spread of specific clones (SC) among caretakers and relatives.


METHODS
nasopharyngeal cultures were performed in children with SP positive culture (306), family members (51) and caretakers (73) at time 0, and four and seven months later. Differences among SP strains were determined. Descriptive statistics and Fisher exact test were performed.


RESULTS
SP prevalence in carrier children, caretakers and relatives was 10, 0 and 4 %. Three pairs of children, from two different classrooms, shared SP strains SC I, II and III. A clone VII was isolated from a relative. In the second survey, the SP prevalence was 4, 0 and 0 %. Two classmates shared clone I and other two from a different classroom shared clone V. In the third, the prevalence was 2, 4 and 14 %. Strains of clones II and VII were isolated from children. A sister of one child, who did not attend to DCC, was a carrier of clone II found in her brother. Clone III was isolated in one caretaker.


CONCLUSIONS
the SP carrier prevalence was similar to other reports. The sharing of identical clones of SP was found among children in close physical contact.
Quiñonez-Alvarado
Mayra Guadalupe
MG
Laboratorio de Microbiología Molecular, Centro de Investigación Biomédica de Occidente, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (CIBO IMSS), Guadalajara, Jalisco, México.
Villaseñor-Sierra
Alberto
A
D017028:Caregivers; D002353:Carrier State; D002656:Child Day Care Centers; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005190:Family; D006801:Humans; D009305:Nasopharynx / Q000382:microbiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes / Q000302:isolation & purification*