A family cluster of five cases of group A streptococcal pneumonia

Pediatrics. 2003 Jul;112(1 Pt 1):e61-5. doi: 10.1542/peds.112.1.e61.

Abstract

A cluster of 5 family members, a mother and 4 children, were hospitalized for severe group A Streptococcus (GAS) pneumonia. Three family members had complications: sepsis (1), empyema (2), and a sterile parapneumonic effusion (1). Two additional family members had symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection, and 1 was hospitalized for these symptoms. GAS was isolated from the blood of 1 patient, the pleural fluid of 2 patients, and the oropharynx of 6 patients. Pulsed field gel electrophoresis testing revealed an identical deoxyribonucleic acid pattern in all 7 isolates. Genotyping revealed the speA gene and serotyping the T-1, M-1 serotype in all isolates. This family cluster of invasive GAS disease is the largest reported to date, with an attack rate of 41.7% (5 of 12 family members). This report provides further support for antibiotic prophylaxis of close contacts of individuals with invasive GAS disease.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Child
  • Contact Tracing
  • DNA, Bacterial / analysis
  • Disease Outbreaks
  • Disease Transmission, Infectious / prevention & control
  • Drug Therapy, Combination / therapeutic use
  • Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field
  • Empyema, Pleural / drug therapy
  • Empyema, Pleural / microbiology
  • Empyema, Pleural / surgery
  • Family Health
  • Female
  • Genotype
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Pharyngitis / microbiology
  • Pneumonia, Bacterial / microbiology
  • Serotyping
  • Shock, Septic / microbiology
  • Streptococcal Infections / drug therapy
  • Streptococcal Infections / microbiology*
  • Streptococcal Infections / prevention & control
  • Streptococcal Infections / surgery
  • Streptococcal Infections / transmission
  • Streptococcus pyogenes / classification
  • Streptococcus pyogenes / genetics
  • Streptococcus pyogenes / isolation & purification*

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • DNA, Bacterial