Occurrence and Significance of Hemolytic Streptococci Groups B–U in Human Infectious Disease

Abstract

245 strains of hemolytic streptococci, isolated from 225 patients with infectious diseasses, were grouped serologically according to Lancefield. About 40% belonged to group B and half of them were found in the genito-urinary tract. Another 40% belonged to the groups C and G, half of them being found in the respiratory tract and often as the only potentially pathogenic organism. About 10% of the isolates belonged to other of the groups E to T, including M streptococci, and were found under similar circumstances as the C and G isolates. The last 10% could not be referred to any of the groups A-U. In 4 cases group B streptococci were found as the only potentially pathogenic organism in typical erysipelas, and in 4 cases of septicemia the only bacterial finding from blood was a streptococcus of the groups B, C or G. In these cases, as in most others in which an etiological significance could be ascribed to steptococci of other groups than A, the patient was in a bad general condition, due to very high age, agranulocytosis, ethylism or narcomania.

Group L beta-haemolytic streptococcal infection in meat handlers: another streptococcal zoonosis?

“…These authors also reported a 56-year-old woman who developed septicaemia after an attack of thrombophlebitis in the leg (Bevanger & Stamnes, 1979); the patient was often in contact with dogs. /?GLS were first found in the human throat by White, Rudd & Ward (1939) in a study of patients with scarlet fever in Australia (strains 'Hooper' and 'Krone': see Wilson & Miles, 1946), and have since been found at this site in patients both with (Nordlander, Thal & Tunevall, 1975) and without (Olsen, 1957) signs of respiratory infection. They have been found on the normal skin of pig farmers (Olsen, 1957) and, together with Staph.…”

“…Beta-haemolytic, Lancefield group L streptococci (/JGLS) have been found in healthy carriage or infection in many animals, including poultry (Barnham, Kerby & Skillin, 1982), pigs (Olsen, 1957;Olsen, 1964;Jones, 1976aJones, , b, 1981, cattle (Olsen, 1957; Klastrup, 1963;Jensen et al 1958;Wilson & Salt, 1978), sheep (Thal & Moberg, 1953), dogs (Stableforth & Galloway, 1959;Laughton, 1948) and other small fur-bearing animals (Thal & Moberg, 1953). They have been occasionally found in the human throat (Olsen, 1957;White, Rudd & Ward, 1939;Nordlander, Thal & Tunevall, 1975), but infection in man appears to be rare: there are reports of septicaemia and endocarditis (Bevanger & Stamnes, 1979;Ellner, 1970), skin infection (David & Cambridge, 1986) and abscess in the hand of a butcher (Duma et al 1969).…”

Septicemia and endocarditis caused by group G streptococci in a Norwegian hospital

“…The organism was first described in 1935 by Lancefield and Hare (1). Group G streptococci may be found as a member of the normal flora of the pharynx, intestine, vagina and skin (1,2), and as a pathogen in infections such as endocarditis, septic arthritis, pharyngitis, puerperal sepsis, peritonitis, pleuropulmonary infections, meningitis, cellulitis, otitis media and neonatal sepsis (3,4). Septicemia, although infrequently reported in the literature, has been the most common clinical manifestation of group G streptococcal infections.…”