J Med Microbiol 55 (2006), 1741-1744; DOI: 10.1099/jmm.0.46796-0
© 2006 Society for General Microbiology
ISSN 1473-5644
Recovery of interfering and ß-lactamase-producing bacteria from group A ß-haemolytic streptococci carriers and non-carriers
Itzhak Brook and
Alan E. Gober
Department of Pediatrics, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington DC, USA
Correspondence
Itzhak Brook
ib6{at}georgetown.edu
Received 23 June 2006
Accepted 24 August 2006
The purpose of this study was to compare the frequency of recovery of aerobic and anaerobic organisms with interfering capability against group A ß-haemolytic streptococci (GABHS) and ß-lactamase-producing bacteria (BLPB) from the tonsils of GABHS carriers and non-carriers. The presence of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria capable of such interference in vitro was evaluated in cultures obtained from the tonsils of 20 healthy children who were non-GABHS carriers and 20 who were GABHS carriers, and also from 20 children who were asymptomatic after completing a course of penicillin for acute GABHS pharyngo-tonsillitis (PT) and were non-GABHS carriers and 20 who were GABHS carriers. In healthy children, 32 interfering isolates were recovered from 16 non-GABHS carriers (1.6 per child) and 13 were isolated from 7 GABHS carriers (0.65 per child) (P<0.001). In children who had suffered acute GABHS PT, 26 interfering organisms were recovered from 15 non-GABHS carriers (1.3 per child) and 8 were isolated from 5 GABHS carriers (0.4 per child) (P<0.005). In healthy children, 13 BLPB were recovered from 5 non-GABHS carriers and 13 were isolated from 6 GABHS carriers. In children who had suffered acute GABHS PT, 14 BLPB were recovered from 5 (25 %) non-GABHS carriers and 32 were isolated from 17 (85 %) GABHS carriers (P<0.05). It was demonstrated in this study that there was a higher rate of recovery of aerobic and anaerobic organisms capable of interfering with GABHS in non-GABHS carriers than in GABHS carriers. This was observed in all GABHS non-carriers and included healthy children as well as those recently treated for symptomatic GABHS PT with penicillin that failed to eradicate GABHS. A higher rate of recovery of BLPB was observed only in GABHS carriers who were treated with penicillin for GABHS PT.
Abbreviations: BLPB, ß-lactamase-producing bacteria; GABHS, group A ß-haemolytic streptococci; PT, pharyngo-tonsillitis.
Copyright © 2006 Society for General Microbiology.