[Pharyngitis produced by Arcanobacterium haemolyticum]

Arcanobacterium haemolyticum (A.h.) was recovered from 0.43% of throat cultures of 3715 patients with sore throat, scarlatina and various skin rash. In a 57.90% patients A.h. was the only bacterial pathogen isolated, while in the remainder beta-haemolytic streptococci, Haemophilus and S. aureus were also detected. beta-haemolytic streptococci were much more frequent than A.h. in the throat cultures (26.83%). All A.h. strains were of the smooth type based on colony morphology and the ability to ferment sucrose. The strains were susceptible to penicillins, cephalosporins, erytromycin and resistant to trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole. Pharyngeal injection in 89.47% and exanthem in 78.90% were the most common signs present to the patients.