Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-vfjqv Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-27T03:20:46.431Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Streptococcal infections among children in a residential home: II. Potential sources of infection for individuals

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 May 2009

Margaret C. Holmes ,
R. E. O. Williams ,
C. V. Bloom ,
Ann Hirch ,
Ann Lermit  and
Eileen Woods
Margaret C. Holmes
Affiliation:
Streptococcus Reference Laboratory, Public Health Laboratory Service, Colindale, London, N.W. 9
R. E. O. Williams
Affiliation:
Streptococcus Reference Laboratory, Public Health Laboratory Service, Colindale, London, N.W. 9
C. V. Bloom
Affiliation:
Dr Barnardo's Homes, Barkingside, Essex
Ann Hirch
Affiliation:
Streptococcus Reference Laboratory
Ann Lermit
Affiliation:
Streptococcus Reference Laboratory
Eileen Woods
Affiliation:
Streptococcus Reference Laboratory
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

1. For each case of streptococcal illness—sore throat, otitis, or other respiratory tract illness—observed in a 30-month study in a large children's home an attempt was made to enumerate the infected contacts from whom the infection might have been derived.

2. Of 459 illnesses, 10·5% seemed to be relapses of a previous illness, and in 10·0% the child was known to have been carrying streptococci for more than 7 days before sickening, so that the causal relation of the streptococcus is in doubt.

3. Of the 365 other illnesses, 31·5% could be attributed with varying degrees of confidence to infection from one specified carrier, 36·8% could have been derived from one or more recognized contacts although there was not sufficient evidence to specify one in particular. For 17·5% no infected contacts were recognized, but infection with the particular streptococcus was known to be present in the community; and for 9·3% there were no contacts and the streptococcus was not known to be present in the Village.

4. Of the ninety-four illnesses for which the source could be specified as one particular carrier, 66% were derived from heavy nasal, 19% from light nasal, and 15% from throat carriers. Persons incubating a streptococcal illness and healthy carriers were each responsible for 31% of the illnesses and convalescent carriers for 38%.

5. It seemed that at least 50% of all illnesses could have been contracted from contacts within the cottage; the proportion due to school infection was much more difficult to estimate but was at least 12%.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Hygiene , Volume 56 , Issue 1 , March 1958 , pp. 62 - 72
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1958

References

REFERENCES

Duguid, J. P. (1946). The size and duration of air carriage of respiratory droplets and droplet nuclei. J. Hyg., Camb., 44, 471.Google ScholarPubMed
Hamburger, M. Jr & Green, M. J. (1946). The problem of the ‘dangerous carrier’ of hemolytic streptococci. IV. Observations upon the role of the hands, of blowing the nose, of sneezing and of coughing in the disposal of these micro-organisms. J. infect. Dis. 79, 33.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hamburger, M. Jr, Green, M. J. & Hamburger, V. G. (1945 a). The problem of the ‘dangerous carrier’ of hemolytic streptococci. I. Number of hemolytic streptococci expelled by carriers with positive and negative nose cultures. J. infect. Dis. 77, 68.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hamburger, M. Jr, Green, M. J. & Hamburger, V. G. (1945 b). The problem of the ‘dangerous carrier’ of hemolytic streptococci. II. Spread of infection by individuals with strongly positive nose cultures who expelled large numbers of hemolytic streptococci. J. infect. Dis. 77, 96.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hamburger, M. Jr & Robertson, O. H. (1948). Expulsion of Group A hemolytic streptococci in droplets and droplet nuclei by sneezing, coughing and talking. Amer. J. Med. 4, 690.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Holmes, M. C. & Williams, R. E. O. (1958 a). Streptococcal infections among children in a residential home. I. Introduction and definitions; the incidence of infection. J. Hyg., Camb., 56, 43.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Holmes, M. C. & Williams, R. E. O. (1958 b). Streptococcal infections among children in a residential home. IV. Outbreaks of infection. J. Hyg., Camb., in the Press.Google Scholar
Rubbo, S. D. & Benjamin, M. (1953). Transmission of haemolytic streptococci. J. Hyg., Camb., 51, 278.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed