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The incidence of scarlet fever

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 October 2009

Elizabeth M. Perks
Affiliation:
Microbiology Department, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford
Richard T. Mayon-White
Affiliation:
Microbiology Department, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford
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Summary

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This study attempted to find the incidence of scarlet fever in the Oxford region, including the proportion of patients from whom Streptococcus pyogenes could be isolated. General practitioners collected throat swabs from patients with suspected scarlet fever. The swabs were examined for viral and bacterial pathogens. Children admitted to hospital were used as controls. Twenty-five of 105 patients with suspected scarlet fever grew Str. pyogenes; M type 4 was the commonest type. The clinical diagnosis of scarlet fever was not always confirmed by throat culture. The annual incidence of scarlet fever was estimated to be 0·3 cases per 1000 per year.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1983

References

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