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Outbreak of Group A beta hemolytic Streptococcus pharyngitis in a Peruvian military facility, April 2012

Mariana Ramos1, Ruben Valle, Eric J Reaves

  • 1Emerging Infections Department, U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit No. 6, Lima, Peru.

MSMR
|July 4, 2013
PubMed

Insights

A large Group A Streptococcus (GAS) outbreak occurred at a Peruvian military facility, infecting 383 trainees. The investigation highlighted challenges in closed populations and identified a rare GAS emm type 80.1 pathogen.

Area of Science:

  • Epidemiology
  • Infectious Disease Control
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Group A Streptococcus (GAS) causes pharyngitis and outbreaks in crowded settings.
  • Military training facilities are susceptible to GAS transmission due to close living quarters.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate a large GAS pharyngitis outbreak at a Peruvian military training facility.
  • To understand transmission dynamics and identify the causative agent in a closed population.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective case finding and an anonymous survey of trainees.
  • Epidemic curve analysis to determine transmission patterns.
  • Laboratory identification of the GAS emm type.

Main Results:

  • At least 383 cases of pharyngitis were identified among 1,137 respondents, with a 34% attack rate.
  • Epidemic curve suggested person-to-person transmission, with a possible initial event.
  • GAS emm type 80.1, uncommon in the Americas, was identified as the pathogen.

Conclusions:

  • The study details a significant GAS outbreak in a military population, emphasizing challenges in outbreak detection.
  • The identification of emm type 80.1 provides insights into GAS epidemiology.
  • Findings underscore the importance of surveillance and control measures in closed environments.

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