Studies on the Streptococcus Group A Infection: The Carrier State and Latent Infection among Childen

Abstract

Summary A longitudinal study has been conducted on 114 children in a hospital for primary tuberculosis, in order to determine the incidence of Group A latent streptococcal infection. The subjects were regularly examined for the presence of Group A streptococcus in the throat, the level of streptococcal antibodies in the sera; a daily methodical investigation was also performed in the search of any clinical symptoms of infection. The analysis of the modes of infection shows that several degrees exist between the subject remaining free of any contact with group A streptococcus and that one who presents a clinically acute infection; some children are truly healthy carriers, but more frequently the acquisition of the germ is followed by a rise of serological reactions. This infection may be clinically latent, 01: may show Clinical Symptoms of disease. Children classified as chronic carriers may harbour a single type of streptococcus or two or more types which may or may not be present concurrently within the carrier.

Obscure Streptococcal Syndromes

“…The ASO titre may be found to be raised in apparently normal individuals; in one study (Lawy 1960) 12% of sera examined showed ASO titres of 200 u./ml. Subclinical infections with Group A streptococci do occur (Rantz 1945, Mozziconacci et al 1966 and it is assumed that this may account for some, perhaps all, instances in which ASO titre has unexpectedly been found to be high.…”