scholarly journals Impact of intra-partum Azithromycin on carriage of group A streptococcus in The Gambia: a posthoc analysis of a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial

Author(s):  
Isatou Jagne ◽  
Alexander J. Keeley ◽  
Abdoulie Bojang ◽  
Bully Camara ◽  
Edrissa Jallow ◽  
...  

AbstractBackgroundGroup A Streptococcus (GAS) is a major human pathogen and an important cause of maternal and neonatal sepsis.MethodsWe performed a posthoc analysis of a double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized-trial (ratio 1:1) carried out in The Gambia to determine the impact of one oral dose (2g) of intra-partum azithromycin on maternal and neonatal GAS carriage. Breast milk, nasopharyngeal and vaginal swabs were collected at different time points during 4 weeks post-treatment. All samples were processed using conventional microbiology techniques. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) of GAS isolates was performed by Illumina MiSeq platform.ResultsWe randomized 829 mothers who delivered 843 babies. GAS carriage in mothers in the azithromycin arm was lower in breast milk (0.28% vs 2.48%, Prevalence Ratio (PR)=0.11, 95% CI 0.01-0.90) and the nasopharynx (0.28% vs 1.93%, PR=0.15, 95% CI 0.02-1.19), but not in the vaginal tract (1.99% vs 1.93%, PR=1.03, 95% CI 0.37-2.91). Among neonates, GAS carriage in the nasopharynx was slightly lower in the azithromycin arm (0.57% vs 1.91%, PR=0.30, 95% CI 0.06-1.42). Prevalence of azithromycin-resistant GAS was similar in both arms, except for a higher prevalence in the vaginal tract among women in the azithromycin arm (1.99% vs 0.28%, PR=7.24, 95% CI 0.87-56.92). WGS revealed ten of the 45 GAS isolates (22.2%) were Streptococcus dysgalactiae subspecies equisimilis expressing Lancefield group A carbohydrate (SDSE(A)). All SDSE(A) isolates were azithromycin-resistant, harbouring macrolide resistant genes msrD and mefA.ConclusionsOral intra-partum azithromycin reduced prevalence of GAS carriage among mothers and neonates. Azithromycin-resistant SDSE(A) carriage was observed among participants treated with azithromycin.Short SummaryGroup A streptococcus (GAS) is an important cause of sepsis. One oral dose (2g) of intra-partum azithromycin reduced maternal and neonatal GAS carriage. However, azithromycin-resistant Streptococcus dysgalactiae subspecies equisimilis expressing Lancefield group A carbohydrate was detected in women receiving azithromycin.

Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 124
Author(s):  
Sona Jabang ◽  
Annette Erhart ◽  
Saffiatou Darboe ◽  
Aru-Kumba Baldeh ◽  
Valerie Delforge ◽  
...  

Molecular epidemiological data on Group A Streptococcus (GAS) infection in Africa is scarce. We characterized the emm-types and emm-clusters of 433 stored clinical GAS isolates from The Gambia collected between 2004 and 2018. To reduce the potential for strain mistyping, we used a newly published primer for emm-typing. There was considerable strain diversity, highlighting the need for vaccine development offering broad strain protection.


2021 ◽  
Vol 70 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Haruka Ishihara ◽  
Kohei Ogura ◽  
Van An Nguyen ◽  
Tohru Miyoshi-Akiyama ◽  
Shigefumi Okamoto ◽  
...  

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1986 ◽  
Vol 77 (6) ◽  
pp. 795-800 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ellen R. Wald ◽  
Darleen Chiponis ◽  
Jocyline Ledesma-Medina

This study compared the relative effectiveness of two antimicrobial preparations, amoxicillin and amoxicillin-clavulanate potassium (Augmentin), in the treatment of acute maxillary sinusitis in children 2 to 16 years of age. Of 171 children with persistent (ten to 30 days' duration) nasal discharge or daytime cough or both, 136 (80%) had abnormal maxillary sinus radiographs. These children were stratified by age and severity of symptoms and randomly assigned to receive either amoxicillin, amoxicillin-clavulanate potassium, or placebo. After the exclusion of 28 children with throat cultures positive for group A Streptococcus and 15 who did not complete their medication, the remaining 93 children were evaluated: 30 received amoxicillin, 28 received amoxicillin-clavulanate potassium, and 35 received placebo. Clinical assessment was performed at three and ten days. On each occasion, children treated with an antibiotic were more likely to be cured than children receiving placebo (P < .01 at three days, P < .05 at ten days). The overall cure rate was 67% for amoxicillin, 64% for amoxicillin-clavulanate potassium, and 43% for placebo.


2006 ◽  
Vol 1289 ◽  
pp. 303-306 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shelly A. McNeil ◽  
Scott A. Halperin ◽  
Joanne M. Langley ◽  
Bruce Smith ◽  
Darlene M. Baxendale ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Shakun Singh ◽  
Rachna Chaudhary ◽  
Vandana Dhama ◽  
Anu Singh ◽  
Urmila Karya

Background: To study the impact of Vitamin A supplementation in anaemia during Pregnancy and thus improving maternal and fetal outcome a Randomized double blind controlled clinical trial was conducted in Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, L.L.R.M. Medical college Meerut involving 250 pregnant women in late pregnancy 18-28 weeks with haemoglobin levels <11 g% (7-11 g%)..Methods: The study subjects were divided into two groups: Group A (n=125): Received daily supplement containing Iron (60 mg elemental iron) + Folate (500 mcg) + Vitamin A 20,000 IU weekly for a minimum of 12 weeks. Group B (n=125): Received daily supplement containing iron (60 mg elemental iron) + Folate (500 mcg) for a minimum of 12 weeks.Results: Maximum patients were uneducated belonging to low socioeconomic status. The mean haemoglobin values in Group A and Group B increased from 9.674±1.05 and 9.53±1.04 to 12.2±0.89 and 10.82±1.06 respectively after supplementation. Similarily Serum Ferritin levels increased from 15.96±2.94 and 15.70±2.83 to 78.40±17.82 and 58.64±11.93. Mean corpuscular volume, packed cell volume and red blood cell counts also increased significantly. Maximum haemoglobin levels were achieved with both vitamin A and iron supplementation. The proportion of women who became non anaemic was 97.17% in Group A vs 68.69% in Group B.Conclusions: Vitamin A supplementation improves anaemia and also dramatically improves iron stores in anaemic pregnant women.


2010 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 220-223 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pallaval V. Bramhachari ◽  
Santosh Y. Kaul ◽  
David J. McMillan ◽  
Melkote S. Shaila ◽  
Mohan G. Karmarkar ◽  
...  

Streptococcus pyogenes [group A streptococcus (GAS)], a human pathogen, and Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilis [human group G and C streptococcus (GGS/GCS)] are evolutionarily related, share the same tissue niche in humans, exchange genetic material, share up to half of their virulence-associated genes and cause a similar spectrum of diseases. Yet, GGS/GCS is often considered as a commensal bacterium and its role in streptococcal disease burden is under-recognized. While reports of the recovery of GGS/GCS from normally sterile sites are increasing, studies describing GGS/GCS throat colonization rates relative to GAS in the same population are very few. This study was carried out in India where the burden of streptococcal diseases, including rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease, is high. As part of a surveillance study, throat swabs were taken from 1504 children attending 7 municipal schools in Mumbai, India, during 2006–2008. GAS and GGS/GCS were identified on the basis of β-haemolytic activity, carbohydrate group and PYR test, and were subsequently typed. The GGS/GCS carriage rate (166/1504, 11 %) was eightfold higher than the GAS carriage (22/1504, 1.5 %) rate in this population. The 166 GGS/GCS isolates collected represented 21 different emm types (molecular types), and the 22 GAS isolates represented 15 different emm types. Although the rate of pharyngitis associated with GGS/GCS is marginally lower than with GAS, high rates of throat colonization by GGS/GCS underscore its importance in the pathogenesis of pharyngitis.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chuan Chiang-Ni ◽  
Yen-Shan Liu ◽  
Chieh-Yu Lin ◽  
Chih-Yun Hsu ◽  
Yong-An Shi ◽  
...  

The acquisition of the phage-encoded superantigen ssa by scarlet fever-associated group A Streptococcus (Streptococcus pyogenes, GAS) is found in North Asia. Nonetheless, the impact of acquiring ssa by GAS in invasive infections is unclear. This study initially analyzed the prevalence of ssa+ GAS among isolates from sterile tissues and blood. Among 220 isolates in northern Taiwan, the prevalence of ssa+ isolates increased from 1.5% in 2008–2010 to 40% in 2017–2019. Spontaneous mutations in covR/covS, which result in the functional loss of capacity to phosphorylate CovR, are frequently recovered from GAS invasive infection cases. Consistent with this, Phostag western blot results indicated that among the invasive infection isolates studied, 10% of the ssa+ isolates lacked detectable phosphorylated CovR. Transcription of ssa is upregulated in the covS mutant. Furthermore, in emm1 and emm12 covS mutants, ssa deletion significantly reduced their capacity to grow in human whole blood. Finally, this study showed that the ssa gene could be transferred from emm12-type isolates to the emm1-type wild-type strain and covS mutants through phage infection and lysogenic conversion. As the prevalence of ssa+ isolates increased significantly, the role of streptococcal superantigen in GAS pathogenesis, particularly in invasive covR/covS mutants, should be further analyzed.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sowmya Ajay Castro ◽  
Helge C. Dorfmueller

Streptococcus pyogenes , also known as Group A Streptococcus (GAS), is a Gram-positive human-exclusive pathogen, responsible for more than 500 000 deaths annually worldwide. Upon infection, GAS commonly triggers mild symptoms such as pharyngitis, pyoderma and fever. However, recurrent infections or prolonged exposure to GAS might lead to life-threatening conditions. Necrotizing fasciitis, streptococcal toxic shock syndrome and post-immune mediated diseases, such as poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis, acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease, contribute to very high mortality rates in non-industrialized countries. Though an initial reduction in GAS infections was observed in high-income countries, global outbreaks of GAS, causing rheumatic fever and acute poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis, have been reported over the last decade. At the same time, our understanding of GAS pathogenesis and transmission has vastly increased, with detailed insight into the various stages of infection, beginning with adhesion, colonization and evasion of the host immune system. Despite deeper knowledge of the impact of GAS on the human body, the development of a successful vaccine for prophylaxis of GAS remains outstanding. In this review, we discuss the challenges involved in identifying a universal GAS vaccine and describe several potential vaccine candidates that we believe warrant pursuit.


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