Low prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis in the oropharynx of adolescents

This study determined the prevalence rates of Chlamydia trachomatis infection in the oropharynx of adolescents with and without pharyngitis. One hundred teenagers with and without symptoms of pharyngitis were cultured for C. trachomatis. Swabs were taken from the oropharynx and tonsillar areas for direct fluorescent antibody assay and cell culture. Of the 100 adolescents enrolled in the study 55% had a history of pharyngitis and 45% had no pharyngeal symptoms; 29% were male and 71% were female. The mean age was 15.5 years. Forty-two percent had a history of sexual intercourse, and 11.5% described a history of oral-genital sex. Only one 14-year-old female with a 2-week history of a sore throat had a positive culture. Her direct fluorescent antibody assay was inconclusive and the throat culture for Group A Streptococcus was negative. She had no history of sexual activity. The overall prevalence rate in the 100 adolescents was 1% with a 1.8% prevalence in the symptomatic group and 0 in the asymptomatic group. Of the symptomatic adolescents 39 had cultures for Group A Streptococcus and 8 (20.5%) were positive. The results of this study suggest that C. trachomatis is a rare inhabitant of the oropharynx in adolescents and is not a common cause of pharyngitis.