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Postoperative Group A β-Hemolytic Streptococcus Outbreak With the Pathogen Traced to a Member of a Healthcare Worker's Household

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 June 2016

Sindy M. Paul ,
Carol Genese  and
Kenneth Spitalny
Sindy M. Paul*
Affiliation:
New Jersey State Department of Health Division of Epidemiology, Trenton, New Jersey
Carol Genese
Affiliation:
New Jersey State Department of Health Division of Epidemiology, Trenton, New Jersey
Kenneth Spitalny
Affiliation:
New Jersey State Department of Health Division of Epidemiology, Trenton, New Jersey
*
New Jersey State Department of Health, 3635 Quakerbridge Road. Trenton, NJ 08625-0369
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Abstract

A cluster of four group A (β-hemolytic Streptococcus postoperative wound infections was investigated at a community hospital. The serotypes of the Streptococcus isolated from all four cases, an asymptomatic anesthesiologist and one of his household members were M nontypable T28. During the outbreak period, December 1988, the infection rate among the 40 patients of the anesthesiologist was 7.5%. Among other patients not having contact with this healthcare worker, it was 0.09% (p = .0002 Fisher's exact test). This is only the second reported Group A β-hemolytic Streptococcus hospital outbreak in which the pathogen was traced to a member of a healthcare worker's household. Early outbreak detection and intervention limited the extent of the outbreak.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology , Volume 11 , Issue 12 , December 1990 , pp. 643 - 646
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 1990

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