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Updated: Aug 8, 2026
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Implementation of a Permeable Membrane Insert-based Infection System to Study the Effects of Secreted Bacterial Toxins on Mammalian Host Cells
Published on: August 19, 2016
Infections due to Lancefield group C streptococci
R A Salata1, P I Lerner, D M Shlaes
1Department of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio.
Medicine
|July 1, 1989
Summary
Group C streptococcal infections are an emerging threat, often acquired in hospitals and affecting patients with underlying conditions. Early combination therapy is recommended for severe cases.
Area of Science:
- Infectious Diseases
- Microbiology
- Clinical Medicine
Background:
- Group C streptococci (GCS) are increasingly recognized as opportunistic pathogens.
- Historically, GCS infections were less common, but recent data highlight their growing nosocomial and opportunistic role.
Observation:
- A 15-year study identified significant risk factors for GCS infection, including chronic cardiopulmonary disease, diabetes, malignancy, and alcoholism in a predominantly male cohort.
- Bacteremia was prevalent (74%), with nosocomial acquisition in 26% of cases.
- Infections were often polymicrobial, frequently involving gram-negative enteric bacilli.
Findings:
- GCS infections presented a wide spectrum, including puerperal sepsis, pleuropulmonary, skin and soft-tissue, CNS, endocarditis, urinary tract, and pharyngeal infections.
- Novel syndromes like intra-abdominal abscess, epidural abscess, and dialysis-associated infections were observed.
- Outcomes correlated with underlying conditions; antibiotic tolerance in GCS requires further investigation.
Implications:
- The study advocates for initial combination therapy with cell-wall-acting agents and an aminoglycoside for severe GCS infections.
- This approach is particularly recommended for endocarditis, meningitis, septic arthritis, or bacteremia in neutropenic patients.
- Further research is needed to clarify the clinical significance of antibiotic-tolerant GCS strains.
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