The movement of streptococcal infection in Otsu City

The throat cultures were collected on swabs from total number of 3,599 of first grade children of elementary schools in Otsu City in 1978. Beta-hemolytic streptococci were isolated from 628 of 3,599 children (17.4%). Group A strains were found in 403 of 628 children (64.2%). Thus the frequency of recovery of group A streptococci from the children was 11.2% in this study. The size of tonsils in children with positive cultures for group A streptococci and negative response of ASO was larger than tonsils of children with negative cultures for group a strains and negative ASO response, and were smaller than the tonsils of children with positive cultures for group A strains and with positive ASO response. On the 20th day after oral administration of 400,000 units of penicillin derivative, group A strains were eradicated from throats in 76.2% of the treated children.