title: Estimated burden of group a streptococcal pharyngitis among children in Beijing, China.
abstract: Burden of Group A streptococcus (GAS) pharyngitis is scarce in developing countries, still unknown in China. The objective of this study was to determine the incidence of clinical cases of pharyngitis and GAS culture-positive pharyngitis, and their outpatient visits among children aged 0-14 years in Beijing, the capital of China.
  
  
  
  Multiplier model was used to estimate the numbers of pharyngitis cases, based on reported numbers of clinical cases and GAS culture-positive rates from GAS surveillances in Beijing, consultation rate, population coverage of GAS surveillances, sampling success rate, and test sensitivity of GAS culture from previous studies, surveys and surveillances.
  
  
  
  An average of 29804.6 (95 % CI: 28333.2-31276.0) clinical cases of pharyngitis per 100,000 person-years occurred among children aged 0-14 years, resulting in correspondingly 19519.0 (95 % CI: 18516.7-20521.2) outpatient visits per 100,000 person-years from 2012 to 2014 in Beijing. On average, there were 2685.1 (95 % CI: 2039.6-3330.6) GAS culture-positive cases of pharyngitis and 1652.7 (95 % CI: 1256.5-2049.0) outpatient visits per 100,000 person-years during the same period. The estimated burden of GAS pharyngitis was significantly higher than that of scarlet fever. Children aged 5-14 years had a higher burden of GAS pharyngitis than those aged 0-4 years.
  
  
  
  The present data suggests that GAS pharyngitis is very common in children in China. Further studies and surveillances are needed to monitor trends and the effectiveness of control measures.
authors: Institute for Infectious Disease and Endemic Disease Control, Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control, No. 16 Hepingli Middle Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100013, China.|School of Public Health, Captial Medical University, Beijing, China.
authors: Shuangsheng
authors: S
authors: Wu
authors: Institute for Infectious Disease and Endemic Disease Control, Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control, No. 16 Hepingli Middle Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100013, China.|School of Public Health, Captial Medical University, Beijing, China.
authors: Xiaomin
authors: X
authors: Peng
authors: Division of Epidemiology, The Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR China.
authors: Zuyao
authors: Z
authors: Yang
authors: Institute for Infectious Disease and Endemic Disease Control, Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control, No. 16 Hepingli Middle Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100013, China.|School of Public Health, Captial Medical University, Beijing, China.
authors: Chunna
authors: C
authors: Ma
authors: Institute for Infectious Disease and Endemic Disease Control, Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control, No. 16 Hepingli Middle Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100013, China.|School of Public Health, Captial Medical University, Beijing, China.
authors: Daitao
authors: D
authors: Zhang
authors: Institute for Infectious Disease and Endemic Disease Control, Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control, No. 16 Hepingli Middle Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100013, China.|School of Public Health, Captial Medical University, Beijing, China.
authors: Quanyi
authors: Q
authors: Wang
authors: Institute for Infectious Disease and Endemic Disease Control, Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control, No. 16 Hepingli Middle Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100013, China. yangpengcdc@163.com.|School of Public Health, Captial Medical University, Beijing, China. yangpengcdc@163.com.
authors: Peng
authors: P
authors: Yang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000068476:Beijing / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D010612:Pharyngitis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes / Q000302:isolation & purification*
keywords: Burden; China; Group A streptococcus; Pharyngitis