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Oral Biofilm Sampling for Microbiome Analysis in Healthy Children
Published on: December 31, 2017
Genetic Diversity among Group A Streptococcus Isolated from Throats of Healthy and Symptomatic Children
Smriti Chauhan1, Nitin Kashyap2, Anil Kanga3
1Department of Microbiology, Dr RPG Medical College, Kangra (Himachal Pradesh), India drsmriti123@gmail.com drsmriti123@gmail.com.
Insights
Group A Streptococcus (GAS) pharyngitis is common in children. While asymptomatic carriage was low (1.41%), symptomatic infections (7.55%) and diverse emm types highlight the need for throat cultures and prompt antibiotic treatment to prevent complications.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric infectious diseases
- Bacteriology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Group A Streptococcus (GAS) is a primary bacterial cause of pharyngitis, predominantly affecting children aged 5-15.
- GAS can colonize the throats of healthy children, leading to community transmission by both infected individuals and carriers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of GAS in symptomatic and asymptomatic children.
- To analyze the diversity of GAS emm types in different pediatric groups.
- To assess the epidemiological significance of asymptomatic GAS carriage in children.
Main Methods:
- Throat swab samples were collected from 1849 asymptomatic and 371 symptomatic children.
- GAS isolation and identification were performed.
- emm typing was utilized to characterize GAS isolates.
Main Results:
- GAS isolation rates were 1.41% in asymptomatic children and 7.55% in symptomatic children.
- Nine distinct GAS emm types were identified in asymptomatic children, compared to 14 in symptomatic children.
- A higher prevalence and greater emm type diversity were observed in symptomatic children.
Conclusions:
- Throat swab cultures are essential for diagnosing all pharyngitis cases to enable timely antibiotic therapy and prevent sequelae.
- Although asymptomatic GAS carriage in children was found to be low in this study, these individuals can serve as reservoirs for transmission.
- emm typing is a valuable tool for understanding GAS epidemiology and identifying novel strains.
Background:
Group A streptococcus (GAS) is the commonest bacterial cause of pharyngitis. Children in the age group of 5-15 years are most commonly affected. It can also colonize throats of healthy children in this age group. Both cases and carriers can transmit it in the community.
Methods:
Throat swab samples were collected from 1849 asymptomatic and 371 symptomatic children.
Results:
The rate of isolation of GAS was 1.41% among the asymptomatic group and 7.55% among the symptomatic group. Nine different emm types were encountered in the asymptomatic children and 14 among the symptomatic children.
Conclusion:
Throat swab cultures must be used in all cases of pharyngitis. Early and appropriate antibiotic therapy will prevent complications. Asymptomatic throat carriage of GAS in children was low in our study. However, they can still act as reservoirs. Emm typing helps in understanding epidemiology and finding new types.
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