Recovering Streptococci from the Throat, a Practical Alternative to Direct Plating in Remote Tropical Communities

Malcolm McDonald, R TOWERS, Peter Fagan, M McKinnon, N Benger, Ross Andrews, Bart Currie, Jonathan Carapetis

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review

    Abstract

    Throat swabs are regarded as the "gold standard" for diagnosing streptococcal pharyngitis and for surveillance research. Cultaring throats in remote tropical settings is logistically difficult, and these settings are commonly burdened by high rates of streptococcal disease. The survival of streptococci on swabs may depend on whether they are of "throat" or "skin" type, as determined by emm pattern typing. The aims of this study were to compare the recovery rates of beta-hemolytic streptococci (BHS) using three different transport methods and to determine whether the recovery rates correlated with the emm pattern type. Monthly deplicate throat swabs were taken from occupants of selected hoBseholds in three remote Aboriginal communities. Paired swabs were separated and handled in one of three ways: (i) direct inoculation onto culture media with cold-box transport (plated), (ii) sealed in a bag with a silica gel desiccant and cold-box transport (desiccant), and (iii) transport at ambient temperature and humidity (ambient), emm pattern typing was done by standard methods. Over 23 months, 4,842 throat swabs were taken, and 4,122 were paired. BIIS were recovered on 11.5% of the 4,842 occasions (group A, 4.5%; group C, 1.7%; group G, 5.4%). Results from paired swabs showed the plated method was superior to desiccant and desiccant was better than ambient. Pooled data indicated that plated and desiccant were equivalent, and both were significantly better than ambient. There was no correlation between the emm pattern type and recovery of group A streptococci by different methods. In tropical and remote settings, cold-box transport with desiccant and subsequent inoculation of culture plates in the laboratory is a practical alternative to direct plating. Copyright � 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)547-552
    Number of pages6
    JournalJournal of Clinical Microbiology
    Volume44
    Issue number2
    Publication statusPublished - 2006

    Fingerprint

    Hygroscopic Agents
    Pharynx
    Streptococcus
    Pharyngitis
    Silica Gel
    Humidity
    Microbiology
    Culture Media
    Skin
    Temperature
    Research

    Cite this

    McDonald, M., TOWERS, R., Fagan, P., McKinnon, M., Benger, N., Andrews, R., ... Carapetis, J. (2006). Recovering Streptococci from the Throat, a Practical Alternative to Direct Plating in Remote Tropical Communities. Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 44(2), 547-552.
    McDonald, Malcolm ; TOWERS, R ; Fagan, Peter ; McKinnon, M ; Benger, N ; Andrews, Ross ; Currie, Bart ; Carapetis, Jonathan. / Recovering Streptococci from the Throat, a Practical Alternative to Direct Plating in Remote Tropical Communities. In: Journal of Clinical Microbiology. 2006 ; Vol. 44, No. 2. pp. 547-552.
    @article{970dc154b3114dd68b0cc17ed08bf445,
    title = "Recovering Streptococci from the Throat, a Practical Alternative to Direct Plating in Remote Tropical Communities",
    abstract = "Throat swabs are regarded as the {"}gold standard{"} for diagnosing streptococcal pharyngitis and for surveillance research. Cultaring throats in remote tropical settings is logistically difficult, and these settings are commonly burdened by high rates of streptococcal disease. The survival of streptococci on swabs may depend on whether they are of {"}throat{"} or {"}skin{"} type, as determined by emm pattern typing. The aims of this study were to compare the recovery rates of beta-hemolytic streptococci (BHS) using three different transport methods and to determine whether the recovery rates correlated with the emm pattern type. Monthly deplicate throat swabs were taken from occupants of selected hoBseholds in three remote Aboriginal communities. Paired swabs were separated and handled in one of three ways: (i) direct inoculation onto culture media with cold-box transport (plated), (ii) sealed in a bag with a silica gel desiccant and cold-box transport (desiccant), and (iii) transport at ambient temperature and humidity (ambient), emm pattern typing was done by standard methods. Over 23 months, 4,842 throat swabs were taken, and 4,122 were paired. BIIS were recovered on 11.5{\%} of the 4,842 occasions (group A, 4.5{\%}; group C, 1.7{\%}; group G, 5.4{\%}). Results from paired swabs showed the plated method was superior to desiccant and desiccant was better than ambient. Pooled data indicated that plated and desiccant were equivalent, and both were significantly better than ambient. There was no correlation between the emm pattern type and recovery of group A streptococci by different methods. In tropical and remote settings, cold-box transport with desiccant and subsequent inoculation of culture plates in the laboratory is a practical alternative to direct plating. Copyright � 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.",
    keywords = "desiccant, silica gel, Aborigine, article, bacterial strain, bacterium carrier, bacterium culture, beta hemolytic Streptococcus, controlled study, desiccation, environmental temperature, human, humidity, intermethod comparison, nonhuman, pharyngitis, priority journal, sampling, sore throat, throat culture, tropics, Bacteriological Techniques, Culture Media, Humans, Northern Territory, Oceanic Ancestry Group, Pharyngitis, Pharynx, Specimen Handling, Streptococcal Infections, Streptococcus, Tropical Climate, Bacteria (microorganisms), Streptococcus sp. 'group A'",
    author = "Malcolm McDonald and R TOWERS and Peter Fagan and M McKinnon and N Benger and Ross Andrews and Bart Currie and Jonathan Carapetis",
    year = "2006",
    language = "English",
    volume = "44",
    pages = "547--552",
    journal = "Journal of Clinical Microbiology",
    issn = "0095-1137",
    publisher = "American Society for Microbiology",
    number = "2",

    }

    McDonald, M, TOWERS, R, Fagan, P, McKinnon, M, Benger, N, Andrews, R, Currie, B & Carapetis, J 2006, 'Recovering Streptococci from the Throat, a Practical Alternative to Direct Plating in Remote Tropical Communities', Journal of Clinical Microbiology, vol. 44, no. 2, pp. 547-552.

    Recovering Streptococci from the Throat, a Practical Alternative to Direct Plating in Remote Tropical Communities. / McDonald, Malcolm; TOWERS, R; Fagan, Peter; McKinnon, M; Benger, N; Andrews, Ross; Currie, Bart; Carapetis, Jonathan.

    In: Journal of Clinical Microbiology, Vol. 44, No. 2, 2006, p. 547-552.

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review

    TY - JOUR

    T1 - Recovering Streptococci from the Throat, a Practical Alternative to Direct Plating in Remote Tropical Communities

    AU - McDonald, Malcolm

    AU - TOWERS, R

    AU - Fagan, Peter

    AU - McKinnon, M

    AU - Benger, N

    AU - Andrews, Ross

    AU - Currie, Bart

    AU - Carapetis, Jonathan

    PY - 2006

    Y1 - 2006

    N2 - Throat swabs are regarded as the "gold standard" for diagnosing streptococcal pharyngitis and for surveillance research. Cultaring throats in remote tropical settings is logistically difficult, and these settings are commonly burdened by high rates of streptococcal disease. The survival of streptococci on swabs may depend on whether they are of "throat" or "skin" type, as determined by emm pattern typing. The aims of this study were to compare the recovery rates of beta-hemolytic streptococci (BHS) using three different transport methods and to determine whether the recovery rates correlated with the emm pattern type. Monthly deplicate throat swabs were taken from occupants of selected hoBseholds in three remote Aboriginal communities. Paired swabs were separated and handled in one of three ways: (i) direct inoculation onto culture media with cold-box transport (plated), (ii) sealed in a bag with a silica gel desiccant and cold-box transport (desiccant), and (iii) transport at ambient temperature and humidity (ambient), emm pattern typing was done by standard methods. Over 23 months, 4,842 throat swabs were taken, and 4,122 were paired. BIIS were recovered on 11.5% of the 4,842 occasions (group A, 4.5%; group C, 1.7%; group G, 5.4%). Results from paired swabs showed the plated method was superior to desiccant and desiccant was better than ambient. Pooled data indicated that plated and desiccant were equivalent, and both were significantly better than ambient. There was no correlation between the emm pattern type and recovery of group A streptococci by different methods. In tropical and remote settings, cold-box transport with desiccant and subsequent inoculation of culture plates in the laboratory is a practical alternative to direct plating. Copyright � 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

    AB - Throat swabs are regarded as the "gold standard" for diagnosing streptococcal pharyngitis and for surveillance research. Cultaring throats in remote tropical settings is logistically difficult, and these settings are commonly burdened by high rates of streptococcal disease. The survival of streptococci on swabs may depend on whether they are of "throat" or "skin" type, as determined by emm pattern typing. The aims of this study were to compare the recovery rates of beta-hemolytic streptococci (BHS) using three different transport methods and to determine whether the recovery rates correlated with the emm pattern type. Monthly deplicate throat swabs were taken from occupants of selected hoBseholds in three remote Aboriginal communities. Paired swabs were separated and handled in one of three ways: (i) direct inoculation onto culture media with cold-box transport (plated), (ii) sealed in a bag with a silica gel desiccant and cold-box transport (desiccant), and (iii) transport at ambient temperature and humidity (ambient), emm pattern typing was done by standard methods. Over 23 months, 4,842 throat swabs were taken, and 4,122 were paired. BIIS were recovered on 11.5% of the 4,842 occasions (group A, 4.5%; group C, 1.7%; group G, 5.4%). Results from paired swabs showed the plated method was superior to desiccant and desiccant was better than ambient. Pooled data indicated that plated and desiccant were equivalent, and both were significantly better than ambient. There was no correlation between the emm pattern type and recovery of group A streptococci by different methods. In tropical and remote settings, cold-box transport with desiccant and subsequent inoculation of culture plates in the laboratory is a practical alternative to direct plating. Copyright � 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

    KW - desiccant

    KW - silica gel

    KW - Aborigine

    KW - article

    KW - bacterial strain

    KW - bacterium carrier

    KW - bacterium culture

    KW - beta hemolytic Streptococcus

    KW - controlled study

    KW - desiccation

    KW - environmental temperature

    KW - human

    KW - humidity

    KW - intermethod comparison

    KW - nonhuman

    KW - pharyngitis

    KW - priority journal

    KW - sampling

    KW - sore throat

    KW - throat culture

    KW - tropics

    KW - Bacteriological Techniques

    KW - Culture Media

    KW - Humans

    KW - Northern Territory

    KW - Oceanic Ancestry Group

    KW - Pharyngitis

    KW - Pharynx

    KW - Specimen Handling

    KW - Streptococcal Infections

    KW - Streptococcus

    KW - Tropical Climate

    KW - Bacteria (microorganisms)

    KW - Streptococcus sp. 'group A'

    UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=32344432909&partnerID=8YFLogxK

    M3 - Article

    VL - 44

    SP - 547

    EP - 552

    JO - Journal of Clinical Microbiology

    JF - Journal of Clinical Microbiology

    SN - 0095-1137

    IS - 2

    ER -

    McDonald M, TOWERS R, Fagan P, McKinnon M, Benger N, Andrews R et al. Recovering Streptococci from the Throat, a Practical Alternative to Direct Plating in Remote Tropical Communities. Journal of Clinical Microbiology. 2006;44(2):547-552.

    Access to Document