An Epidemic of Pharyngitis Due to a Nonhemolytic Group A Streptococcus at Lowry Air Force Base

Background and Purpose: Nosocomial infections are a growing problem in many health centers. Cell phones used by the medical staff can act as a vector for nosocomial transmission of microorganisms. This study aimed to investigate the role of cell phones of senior medical students in the spread of nosocomial bacterial infections in Amir-al-Momenin general hospital in Tehran in September 2015. Methods: Thirty medical students were enrolled using convenience sampling method. Demographic data, perspectives, attitudes, phone type, and frequency of cleaning of mobile phones were collected by questionnaires. Samples were taken from the phones using a sterile swab moistened with a nutritive medium in order to assess the possibility of bacterial growth. Results: A total of 53.3 percent of mobile phones were infected. Isolated bacteria were: Staphylococcus epidermidis (26.7%), Nonalbicans Candida (16.7%), Bacillus PSP (13.3%), Micrococcus PSP (10%), non-hemolytic Streptococcus and Enterococcus (each 6.7%), and Klebsiella and Staphylococcus aureus (each 3.3%). Conclusions: Mobile phones can act as potential carriers of nosocomial infections which are significantly higher in male students' phones and in smartphones. So, some restrictions should be applied to their use in sensitive areas of hospitals. Also, due to the significant impact of cleaning mobile phones in reducing the frequency of bacterial contamination, attention to their regular cleaning should be considered.

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“…Though, these bacteria have been isolated from patients with pharyngitis (40,41), pneumonia (42), sepsis (43,44), and cellulitis (45).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Contamination of Senior Medical Students’ Cell Phones by Nosocomial Infections: A Survey in a University-Affiliated Hospital in Tehran

Jalalmanesh¹,

Darvishi²,

Rahimi³

et al. 2017

Shiraz E-Med J

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“…The strains isolated by Colebrook et al produced only streptolysin O. More recently, James and McFarland (1971) reported an outbreak involving 118 air force recruits in Colorado, with six subsequent cases of rheumatic fever [23]. Interestingly, James and McFarland commented that although Colebrook et al had speculated in 1942 that pathogenic streptococci were being missed in puerperal or surgical infections because of variations in haemolysin production, no further mention of non-haemolytic variants had appeared in the subsequent literature until their own report in 1971.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In one report, a nonhaemolytic variant was associated with an epidemic of pharyngitis which resulted in six cases of rheumatic fever [23]. Non-haemolytic variants of S. dysgalactiae supsp.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Haemolysin-deficient variants of Streptococcus pyogenes and S. dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilis may be overlooked as aetiological agents of pharyngitis

Dierksen

Tagg

2000

Journal of Medical Microbiology

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“…If this was the reason, then such a feature would be advantageous for direct antigen detection systems since they do not rely on viable bacteria. On the other hand these two specimens may have had small amounts of GAS or may have contained non-haemolytic GAS mutants (James & McFarland, 1971) which were overgrown or inhibited by normal throat flora (Tagg, Dajani & Wannamaker, 1976).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of a two-minute strep A direct swab test (SADST) on patients with pharyngitis at a primary care clinic

Araj

Majeed

1986

J. Hyg.

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SUMMARYA two-minute strep A direct swab test (SADST) was used to detect the presence of Lancefield group A streptococci (GAS) from the throats of 207 patients with pharyngitis at a primary-care clinic. The results were compared with a standard culture method. Fifty-one specimens were positive and 156 specimens were negative for GAS by culture. The SADST had a sensitivity of 96 % (49 of 51) and specificity of 98-7 % (154 of 156). The predictive values of a positive and negative SADST, for GAS, were 96 % and 98-7 % respectively. The SADST showed negative reactions with five specimens containing beta-haemolytic streptococci other than GAS and 34 known stock cultures other than GAS. Our results indicate that SADST is a rapid, simple, convenient and reliable test to use for diagnosis of GAS pharyngitis at primary care clinics, physicians' offices and clinical laboratories.

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An Epidemic of Pharyngitis Due to a Nonhemolytic Group A Streptococcus at Lowry Air Force Base

Cited by 59 publications

References 9 publications

Contamination of Senior Medical Students’ Cell Phones by Nosocomial Infections: A Survey in a University-Affiliated Hospital in Tehran

Contamination of Senior Medical Students’ Cell Phones by Nosocomial Infections: A Survey in a University-Affiliated Hospital in Tehran

Haemolysin-deficient variants of Streptococcus pyogenes and S. dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilis may be overlooked as aetiological agents of pharyngitis

Evaluation of a two-minute strep A direct swab test (SADST) on patients with pharyngitis at a primary care clinic

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