title: Genetic Diversity among Group A Streptococcus Isolated from Throats of Healthy and Symptomatic Children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Group A streptococcus (GAS) is the commonest bacterial cause of pharyngitis. Children in the age group of 5-15 years are most commonly affected. It can also colonize throats of healthy children in this age group. Both cases and carriers can transmit it in the community.
  
  
  METHODS
  Throat swab samples were collected from 1849 asymptomatic and 371 symptomatic children.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The rate of isolation of GAS was 1.41% among the asymptomatic group and 7.55% among the symptomatic group. Nine different emm types were encountered in the asymptomatic children and 14 among the symptomatic children.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Throat swab cultures must be used in all cases of pharyngitis. Early and appropriate antibiotic therapy will prevent complications. Asymptomatic throat carriage of GAS in children was low in our study. However, they can still act as reservoirs. Emm typing helps in understanding epidemiology and finding new types.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Dr RPG Medical College, Kangra (Himachal Pradesh), India drsmriti123@gmail.com drsmriti123@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Smriti
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chauhan
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Dr RPG Medical College, Kangra (Himachal Pradesh), India.
authors.forename: Nitin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kashyap
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Indira Gandhi Medical College, Kangra (Himachal Pradesh), India.
authors.forename: Anil
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kanga
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Dr RPG Medical College, Kangra (Himachal Pradesh), India.
authors.forename: Kamlesh
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Thakur
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Dr RPG Medical College, Kangra (Himachal Pradesh), India.
authors.forename: Anuradha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sood
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Dr RPG Medical College, Kangra (Himachal Pradesh), India.
authors.forename: Lata
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chandel
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002353:Carrier State / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006801:Humans; D010612:Pharyngitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D010614:Pharynx / Q000382:microbiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents
keywords: Group A streptococcus; carrier; pharyngitis