Beta-Haemolytic group G. streptococci in Trinidad

During January to March, 1982, the throats of 175 apparently healthy school children, age range 5 - 11 years, were swabbed and examined for the presence of beta-haemolytic streptococci as a prerequisite to the determination of the immune response to streptococcal antigens in normal children.j There were 68 isolates comprising 39 belonging to Group A, 1 to Group B, 4 to Group C and 24 to Group G. This high rate of Group G colonisation was surprising. Subsequent examination of past record showed that of 114 throat swabs of apparently healthy school children taken in 1967, 36 yield streptococcal isolates of which 4 belonged to Group G. Of 199 cultures from skin lesions, 166 yielded streptococcal isolates of which 4 belonged to Group G but 2 of which were of mixed culture with Group A. These observations led to a review of cases of post streptococcal sequelae, acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and acute glomerulonephrotos (AGN) which occurred at the General Hospital, San Fernando, between January 1976 and July 1980 during which time all bacitracin positive streptococcal isolates from patients with post streptococcal sequelae were sent to the Public Health Laboratory, Colindale, England for grouping and typing. Of 1,073 isolates, 958 belonged to Group A, 18 to Group B, 19 to Group C, 5 to Group D and 63 to Group G. Of the 63 Group G isolates, one was isolated from the throat of a patient with ARF and 8 from siblings of ARF patients. More interestingly, there were 7 Group G isolates from skin lesions on patients with AGN and 47 from siblings of AGN patients. Though Group G streptococci have been associated with pharyngitis, neonatal sepsis and suspected gonococcal infections, this is the first report of a possible Group G associated post streptococcal acute glomerulonephritis (AU)