Arcanobacterium haemolyticum and streptococcal pharyngitis

Scand J Infect Dis. 1994;26(3):283-7. doi: 10.3109/00365549409011796.

Abstract

Arcanobacterium haemolyticum was recovered from 0.5% of throat cultures of 3,922 patients seeking medical attention because of sore throat. Most of the patients positive for A. haemolyticum were 15-25 years old, and had fever (80%), lymphadenopathy (67%), pharyngeal exudate (69%) or skin rash (23%). In this age group, 2% of the throat cultures proved positive for A. haemolyticum. All A. haemolyticum strains were susceptible to penicillin, erythromycin, cephalexin and clindamycin, but resistant to trimethoprim/sulphamethoxazole. In half of the patients with A. haemolyticum it was the only bacterial pathogen isolated, while in the remainder, beta-haemolytic streptococci were also detected. As expected, beta-haemolytic streptococci were much more frequent than A. haemolyticum in the throat cultures.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Actinomycetaceae / drug effects
  • Actinomycetaceae / isolation & purification*
  • Actinomycetales Infections / complications
  • Actinomycetales Infections / epidemiology*
  • Actinomycetales Infections / microbiology
  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Drug Resistance, Microbial
  • Female
  • Finland / epidemiology
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Infant
  • Male
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Pharyngitis / microbiology*
  • Streptococcal Infections / complications*
  • Streptococcal Infections / epidemiology
  • Streptococcal Infections / microbiology