INVESTIGATION OF STREPTOCOCCUS PYOGENES CARRIAGE AMONG PHARMACY STUDENTS IN CYPRUS

Year 2019, Volume: 2 Issue: 1, 1 - 6, 11.09.2019

Sahar Haddad Mehmet İlktaç Sultan Ogmen Gülden Çelik

Abstract

Streptococcus
pyogenes is one
of the most frequently detected bacterial agent of pharyngitis and skin
infections that may result in the late complications of rheumatic fever and
glomerulonephritis. The aim of the study was to investigate S. pyogenes carriage among pharmacy students in a
university in Cyprus.

Throat samples were inoculated onto blood agar which was
incubated at 37 °C for 48 hours. Gram positive, catalase negative beta
hemolytic cocci which were sensitive to bacitracin and resistant to
trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole were identified as S. pyogenes.

A total of 140 healthy students were included in the
study. 77.1% of students were Iranian, 5% each were Syrian and Iraqi, 4.3% were
Nigerian and 8.6% were from other nationalities. Five (3.6%) students, all
Iranian, were found to be S. pyogenes carriers.
4.6% of Iranian students were determined to carry S. pyogenes.

The study is the first study in North
Cyprus reporting the low rate of group A beta hemolytic Streptococcus carriage in young adults in Turkish Republic of North Cyprus. 

Keywords

Carriage, S. pyogenes, students, throat

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