Non-group A streptococci: are they pathogens in the throat?

Abstract

A total of 3,184 paediatric patients with sporadic pharyngitis was studied at King Khalid University Hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. In addition, 478 children without pharyngitis who were matched for age and sex were included as controls. Group A β-haemolytic streptococci (βHS) were detected significantly more often among the children with pharyngitis than among the controls (8.4% vs 2.3%; p <0.0001). In contrast, total non-group A and group C βHS were isolated at lower frequency from the sick than control children (0.9% vs 2.5% and 0.2% vs 1.2% respectively; p <0.01) while other non- group A βHS such as groups B, G and F were each isolated in similar frequency from both the sick and control children. We conclude that non-group A βHS appear not to be as important as aetiological agents of sporadic pharyngitis in these children.