Korean J Infect Dis.
1998 Dec;30(6):521-526.
Carrier and Infection Status of Group A Streptococci in Military Trainees
- Affiliations
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- 1Department of Clinical Pathology, Gyeongsang National University College of Medicine, Chinju, Korea.
- 2Gyeongsang Institute of Cancer Research, Gyeongsang National University College of Medicine, Chinju, Korea.
Abstract
- BACKGROUND
Outbreaks of group A streptococcal (GAS) infections have been reported in the military training centers abroad, but bacteriological or epidemiological studies of GAS infections in military recruits inKorea had not yet been done. The aim of this study is to investigate the carrier and status of GAS infections in the Korean military.
METHODS
Throat cultures were taken from 180 military recruits before and after training in Nonsan training center in the winter.beta-hemolytic colonies were identified with bacitracin disk and latex agglutination method. Antistreptolysin O (ASO) titers were measured quantitatively for the recruits containing beta- hemolytic streptococci (BHS). Upper limit of normal (ULN) of ASO was calculated from 91 recruits. T and M typing were performed against 24 strains of isolated GAS.
RESULTS
BHS were equally isolated from 29 (16.1 %) trainees before and after the training. Of the 29 trainees, 13 (7.2%) carried BHS throughout the training and 16 (10.6%) acquired BHS newly during the training. Three of 5 soldiers carrying GAS showed sustained high ASO levels. The ULN of ASO in the military trainees was 195 IU/ml. T1, M1 (25%) was most frequently identified; T28, M28 (20.8%) and T11, M78 (12.5%) were the next common.
CONCLUSION
Although GAS infections did not increase significantly during the training period, the soldiers carrying GAS could become a source of outbreak of GAS infections. Routine benzathine penicillin G chemoprophylaxis for the military recruits is not necessary at the moment, but surveillance of GAS infections should be continued, because M1 type, a rheumatogenic strain, was the most common M type in the military trainees.
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