Group A streptococci in children with acute pharyngitis in Sousse, Tunisia.

A 1-year prospective study in 2 paediatric outpatient clinics in Sousse, Tunisia, aimed to determine the presence of group A streptococci in acute pharyngitis cases and carriers, and the distribution of the serotypes and biotypes. Group A streptococci were found in 9.0% of throat swabs from 155 controls and 17.7% from 474 patients (P < 0.05). Of 43 strains isolated from patients and submitted for typing, 15 different types were identified, the most common being M75 (14 strains; 32.5%), M9 (6 strains; 14.0%), M76 (5 strains; 11.6%) and M12 (4 strains; 9.3%). Three strains were non-typeable (7.0%). Biotyping of the strains showed 3 predominant biotypes: biotype 3 (n = 14), biotype 2 (n = 11), and biotype 1 (n = 7).