Abstract
This study examines the possibility of the family pet serving as a reservoir for group A betahemolytic streptococcal infections in humans. We obtained oropharyngeal cultures from children with acute pharyngitis and concurrent oropharyngeal cultures from their household pets. Children with culture-proved group A betahemolytic streptococcal pharyngitis were detected in 26 of 42 households surveyed. Oropharyngeal cultures were also collected from a group of children without pharyngitis and their pets. Additionally 149 dogs and cats from a local veterinary hopsital were cultured from 371 body sites including the oropharynx, axilla and vagina. All beta-hemolytic bacterial isolates were identified by colonial and microscopic morphology, catalase and pyrrolidonylarylamidase production, bacitracin susceptibility and serogrouping. No group A beta-hemolytic streptococci were recovered from any of the body sites surveyed from a total of 230 animals. Based on these findings, the family pet seems to be an unlikely reservoir for group A beta-hemolytic streptococci.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 372-375 |
Number of pages | 4 |
Journal | Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal |
Volume | 14 |
Issue number | 5 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - May 1995 |
Keywords
- Family pet
- Group a streptococci
- Human streptococcal infection
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health
- Microbiology (medical)
- Infectious Diseases