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A Study of Group A Hemolytic Streptococcus Carriers Among School Children: Part II. Significance of the Findings 1
Author(s) -
MOZZICONACCI P.,
GERBEAUX CL.,
CARAVANO R.,
GERBEAUX S.,
LABONDE J.,
RAHMAN S.,
RABCYNSKA F.,
ORSSAUD E.,
VIROLLEAU P.
Publication year - 1961
Publication title -
acta pædiatrica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1651-2227
pISSN - 0803-5253
DOI - 10.1111/j.1651-2227.1961.tb08019.x
Subject(s) - medicine , throat , pediatrics , immunology , surgery
Summary In the course of a study pursued for 2 consecutive years in normal children of a suburban public school of the Paris area, the following findings were noted: (1) when the technique used was sufficiently sensitive, the rate of healthy carriers was relatively high: 16.7% on an average, with a range of 6.7% to 30%. (2) this percentage seemed to present variations during the course of the year which are perhaps due to a seasonal factor. (3) the cumulative percentage was such that at the end of two years more than one subject in two was found, to have been a carrier of hemolytic streptococci at least once. (4) there was no correlation between the rate of carriers and the development of clinical infections (septic sore throat, scarlet fever). (5) the subjects fell into 4 groups: refractory subjects, occasional carriers, prolonged carriers of the same strain, prolonged carriers of different strains. (6) a “prolonged carrier”) factor was found to exist statistically, i.e. certain subjects were particularly receptive to the Group A hemolytic streptococcus, or conversely, certain subjects were refractory. (7) within the scope of our study this factor was found together with various other independent correlations. Of these, the correlations with the presence of tonsils and with bad conditions of hygiene (absence of running water in the child's home) were hardly surprising; that with a genetic factor (dark iris) was more unexpected, but has been established on equally as sound a basis.