Suspected cases were defined as any person presenting with any three of the following symptoms of an influenzalike illness : fever, pharyngitis, myalgia, prostration, coryza, cough or headache.
Almost all strains were isolated from throat-swabs of paediatric patients who suffered from pharyngitis, but a minority was isolated from respiratory secretions (sputum, tracheal aspirates, etc).
Besides that, the advent of penicillin in 1945 and the ready availability of diagnosis and early treatment of streptococcal pharyngitis have contributed decisively to this decline.
The results of these studies were inconsistent as to the prevalence of various laboratory findings and clinical manifestations other than the classic triad of fever, pharyngitis and lymphadenopathy.
Less frequent were fever and pharyngitis.
This trend might be partially explained by the fact that cases were mainly paediatric and presenting most often as pharyngitis.
Exclusion of food-handlers who have streptococcal pharyngitis should be considered.
Further study of the growth and survival of streptococci in food is needed in order to prepare recommendations for prevention of food-borne streptococcal pharyngitis.
