A foodborne outbreak of a group A streptococcal infection in a Japanese university hospital

Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis. 2009 Mar;28(3):305-8. doi: 10.1007/s10096-008-0614-3. Epub 2008 Aug 21.

Abstract

We describe an outbreak of foodborne tonsillopharyngitis caused by group A streptococcus (GAS), a rarely reported event that occurred during a campus orientation meeting in Japan. Of 461 students and staff members who had eaten boxed lunches during a meeting at Kitasato University, 298 developed sore throat and/or fever, and 285 underwent medical examination. Amoxicillin was prescribed when throat culture specimens yielded GAS. The attack rate was 64.6%. T-25 GAS was isolated from 150 examined persons. Of 65 patients who received amoxicillin for 3 days, GAS was eradicated before the first follow-up throat culture in 46 (70.8%) cases. Susceptibility was demonstrated to penicillins, cephalosporins, and macrolides in 86 GAS isolates obtained more than once from a given patient. GAS strains isolated at various time points were indistinguishable by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), and prtF1 was present. GAS strains were often difficult to eradicate because of a short initial treatment period, patient compliance problems, and the presence of prtF1.

MeSH terms

  • Adhesins, Bacterial / genetics
  • Amoxicillin / pharmacology
  • Amoxicillin / therapeutic use
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use
  • Bacterial Typing Techniques
  • Cross Infection / epidemiology*
  • Cross Infection / microbiology
  • DNA Fingerprinting
  • DNA, Bacterial / genetics
  • Disease Outbreaks*
  • Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field
  • Foodborne Diseases / epidemiology*
  • Foodborne Diseases / microbiology
  • Genotype
  • Hospitals, University
  • Humans
  • Japan / epidemiology
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Pharyngitis / epidemiology
  • Pharyngitis / microbiology
  • Streptococcal Infections / epidemiology*
  • Streptococcal Infections / microbiology
  • Streptococcus pyogenes / classification
  • Streptococcus pyogenes / drug effects
  • Streptococcus pyogenes / isolation & purification*
  • Tonsillitis / epidemiology
  • Tonsillitis / microbiology

Substances

  • Adhesins, Bacterial
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • DNA, Bacterial
  • fibronectin-binding proteins, bacterial
  • Amoxicillin