"Explosive" Outbreak of Haemolytic Streptococcal Tonsillitis

The antistreptococcal property of milk. III. The role of lactenin in milk-borne epidemics; the in vivo action of lactenin

The ability of lactenin to prevent the multiplication of group A streptococci when milk becomes contaminated with that organism accounts in part at least, for the infrequency of milk-borne streptococcal epidemics. From epidemiological studies it has been shown that most such epidemics arise from the consumption of raw milk in which streptococci occur as a result of bovine mastitis due to group A streptococcus. Lactenin fails to prevent the establishment of mastitis due to the group A streptococcus because the milk in the cow's udder is at a low oxidation-reduction potential and the lactenin is inactive. Lactenin, being destroyed by temperatures of 80°C. or above, is absent from canned and powdered milk. When the latter have been diluted or reconstituted, they can serve as excellent growth media for group A streptococci, and epidemics have occurred as a result of contamination of milk supplies of those types. The administration of lactenin by mouth or intraperitoneal injection failed to protect mice from peritonitis or subcutaneous infection due to group A streptococcus.

Tonsillopharyngitis caused by foodborne group A streptococcus: a prison-based outbreak

An outbreak of tonsillopharyngitis due to Streptococcus pyogenes occurred among inmates of a rural correctional center in New South Wales, Australia. A total of 72 (28%) of 256 inmates became ill in December 1999. S. pyogenes type M-75, T-25, which was opacity factor positive, was isolated from throat swab specimens obtained from 5 of 57 inmates with primary cases and from 4 of 15 inmates with secondary cases, as well as from specimens obtained from the hand wounds and throat of one of the food handlers. The consumption of curried egg rolls (i.e., curried egg salad sandwiches) was the most likely association with this outbreak. The presumed source of the food contamination was the food handler who had infected hand wounds. There has been only one other outbreak of streptococcal pharyngitis reported from a prison. Other outbreaks have been reported from military bases, nursing homes, and community picnics.