title: Group A β-hemolytic streptococcal pharyngotonsillitis outbreak.
abstract: The aim was to describe an outbreak of group A β-hemolytic streptococcal pharyngotonsillitis in health care professionals. This is a cross-sectional descriptive study of 17 clients who dined at the same table in a restaurant in Barcelona in July 2012. The frequency, timing and severity of symptoms were analyzed, as were demographic variables and others concerning the food ingested. The attack rate was 58.8%. Six of the 10 clients were positive for group A β-hemolytic streptococcal. Six of the 13 individuals who handled the food involved in the dinner had symptoms. No association was identified with the food consumed. There is epidemiological evidence of foodborne group A β-hemolytic streptococcal transmission, but respiratory transmission could not be ruled out.
authors.affiliation: Centro Nacional de Epidemiología, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, España.
authors.forename: Dante R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Culqui
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Epidemiología, Agencia de Salud Pública de Barcelona, Barcelona, España.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Manzanares-Laya
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Epidemiología, Agencia de Salud Pública de Barcelona, Barcelona, España.
authors.forename: Sarah Lafuente
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Van Der Sluis
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Seguridad Alimentaria, Agencia de Salud Pública de Barcelona, Barcelona, España.
authors.forename: Albert Anton
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Fanlo
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Microbiología, Hospital Universitario Vall de Hebrón, Barcelona, España.
authors.forename: Rosa Bartolomé
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Comas
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Arbovirus y Enfermedades Víricas Importadas, Centro Nacional de Microbiología, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, España.
authors.forename: Marcello
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Epidemiología, Agencia de Salud Pública de Barcelona, Barcelona, España.
authors.forename: Joán A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Caylá
mesh_terms: D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D005517:Foodborne Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010612:Pharyngitis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D012147:Restaurants; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission*; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes; D014069:Tonsillitis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*