Open AccessThroat culture screening for Beta-haemolytic streptococci among schoolboys in Saudi Arabia
Author(s) -
Mostafa A. Abolfotouh,
Naser Eldin Bilal,
Ibrahim A. Badawl
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
eastern mediterranean health journal/eastern mediterranean health journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.442
H-Index - 47
eISSN - 1687-1634
pISSN - 1020-3397
DOI - 10.26719/1996.2.3.425
Subject(s) - crowding , throat , medicine , body mass index , low altitude , demography , altitude (triangle) , pediatrics , immunology , biology , surgery , geometry , mathematics , neuroscience , sociology
Thistudy was designed to estimate the carrier rate of beta-haemolytic streptococci among 972 primary-school boys in a high-altitude area of Saudi Arabia, and its association with social class, crowding index and body mass index, and also to determine the seasonal variation of infection. A carrier rate of 13.1% for beta-haemolytic streptococci was detected. The carrier rate was significantly higher in spring than in winter. The association between streptococcal infection and social class, crowding index, or body mass index was statistically not significant. The low prevalence of streptococcal infection might be attributed to the high altitude but further studies are needed to determine whether this is the case