title: Prevalence of group a streptococcus pharyngeal carriage and clinical manifestations in school children aged 5-15 yrs in Wakiso District, Uganda.
abstract: Beta-hemolytic streptococci carrier rates in children living in low-income countries are high ranging from 10 to 50%. Although most of these children are asymptomatic, they are a reservoir and pose a risk of transmission. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of group a streptococcus pharyngeal carriage and clinical manifestations in school going children in Wakiso district, Uganda.
  
  
  
  A cross sectional study targeting children age 5-15 years in primary schools in one sub-county of Wakiso district was carried out. Three hundred and sixty-six children from five primary schools were enrolled and evaluated for group a streptococcus (GAS) carriage. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data that included social demographics, school environment and clinical findings. For every enrolled child a throat swab was taken and cultured for GAS and blood was drawn for anti-streptolysin-O titres. Analysis of data was done using STATA.
  
  
  
  The prevalence of GAS carriage was 16%. The children with GAS positive cultures were mainly females. The factor associated with GAS carriage was the school location, with peri-urban schools more likely to have children with GAS compared to rural schools; AOR 2.48 (95% CI: 1.01 - 6.11), P = 0.049. There was no significant difference between the characteristic of children with GAS positive verses GAS negative throat swab cultures.
  
  
  
  There is a high prevalence of GAS pharyngeal carriage among children aged 5-15 years attending primary schools in Wakiso District, Uganda.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics & Child Health, College of health sciences, Makerere University, P.O Box 7072, Kampala, Uganda. nayigairene@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Nayiga
authors.affiliation: Uganda Heart Institute, Mulago Hospital Complex, PO Box 7051, Kampala, Uganda.
authors.forename: Emmy
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Okello
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics & Child Health, College of health sciences, Makerere University, P.O Box 7072, Kampala, Uganda.|Uganda Heart Institute, Mulago Hospital Complex, PO Box 7051, Kampala, Uganda.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lwabi
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics & Child Health, College of health sciences, Makerere University, P.O Box 7072, Kampala, Uganda.
authors.forename: Grace
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ndeezi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D002353:Carrier State / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010614:Pharynx / Q000382:microbiology*; D011203:Poverty; D015995:Prevalence; D012424:Rural Population; D012574:Schools; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes; D013301:Streptolysins; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014454:Uganda / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D013301:Streptolysins; C025964:streptolysin O
keywords: Carriage; Group a streptococcus; Uganda