[An explosive outbreak of strep throat morbidity in an adult organized collective]

Altogether 162 cases of tonsillitis were registered in two military units during the period of May 11-16. The disease took an acute course with short-time fever, symptoms of acute intoxication, sore throat, pronounced inflammatory changes in tonsils and swelling of regional (submaxillary and anterocervical) lymph nodes. In some of the patients (1.1%) sickness and vomiting and in 0.2% diarrhea were registered. In 6.7% of the patients scarlatiniform eruptions were observed on days 2-3 of the disease. In the course of the bacteriological examination of the patients group A streptococci, serovar T II, were isolated. The dynamic study of paired sera showed a considerable increase in the number of patients with a high level of antibodies to streptolysin 0 and group A polysaccharide. All patients were fed at the same canteen. The factor of the transmission of this infection could be butter, stored without observation of the required temperature conditions and apportioned by the soldiers of the kitchen police. Experimental study revealed that group A streptococci are capable for proliferation and accumulation in butter.