THROAT CARRIAGE RATE AND ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE OF Streptococcus pyogenes IN RURAL CHILDREN

DELPECH G; SPARO M; BALDACCINI B; LISSARRAGUE S; GARCIA ALLENDE L

Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health

The Korean Society for Preventive Medicine

Lugar: Gwanak-gu; Año: 2017 vol. 50 p. 126 - 131

1975-8375

Objectives: Determine the prevalence of asymptomatic carriers of GAS in children from a ruralcommunity and investigate the association between episodes of acute pharyngitis and carrier status.Methods: observational, prospective and transversal study. Throat swabs were collected from September to November 2013 among 5-13 years old children from a rural community (Maria Ignacia-Vela, Argentina). Phenotypical characterization of isolates was performed by conventional tests.Antimicrobial susceptibility was assayed for penicillin, tetracycline, chloramphenicol, erythromycinand clindamycin (disk diffusion) Minimum Inhibitory Concentration was determined for penicillin,cefotaxime, tetracycline and erythromycin.Results: Carriage of β-hemolytic streptococci has been detected (18.1%): Streptococcus pyogenes(n: 18) followed by S. dysgalactiae ssp. equisimilis (n: 5). Highest percentage of GAS was found in8-10 years old children. No significant association between the number of episodes of acutepharyngitis suffered in the last year and the carrier state was detected (p>0.05). Tetracycline resistance (55.5%) and macrolides resistant phenotypes (11.1%) were observed. Penicillin, cefotaxime and chloramphenicol resistance was not expressed in any streptococcal isolate.Conclusions: The present study has proven a significant throat carriage of GAS and the presence of Group C streptococci (S. dysgalactiae ssp. equisimilis) in an Argentinian rural population. These results point out the need of a continuous surveillance of GAS and non-GAS carriage as well as the antimicrobial resistance in a highly susceptible population, such as school aged rural children. An extended surveillance program including school aged children from different cities should be considered to estimate the situation in Argentina.