There is increasing recognition that microbial infections are important contributors to a wide range of chronic conditions. Peptic ulcer disease may be due to the bacterium Helicobacter pylori rather than to emotional stress and diet. For years the conventional wisdom had been that no microbe could survive the acidic conditions of the stomach. Until recently the blood-brain barrier was consider...

BACKGROUND Although Group A beta hemolytic streptococcus (GABHS) can cause bacterial pharyngitis, the most common etiology is viral; despite this viral etiology, antibiotics are commonly prescribed for this infection in industrialized countries. We investigated the prevalence of GABHS in adult pharyngitis patients from lower socioeconomic settings in Karachi, Pakistan, how often antibiotics are...

Objective: Group A beta hemolytic streptococcus (GABHS) is identified in 20-40% of cases childhood pharyngitis. The Centor/McIsaac score an important scoring method used the early diagnosis patients presenting with symptoms In this study, we aimed to determine relationship between and patients’ symptoms, investigate any conformity Rapid Antigen Test positivity high score. Materials methods: Dat...

A syndrome of motoric and neuropsychiatric symptoms comprising various elements, including chorea, hyperactivity, tics, emotional lability, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms, can occur in association with group A -hemolytic streptococcal (GABHS) infection. We tested the hypothesis that an immune response to GABHS can result in behavioral abnormalities. Female SJL/J mice were immunized and boost...

Varicella is generally a benign, self-limited childhood illness; however, severe, life-threatening complications do occur. A live, attenuated vaccine exists to prevent this illness, but controversy remains concerning the need to vaccinate children for what is generally a benign, self-limited disease, although more states are currently recommending this vaccine. We report a previously healthy 3-...

The course of severe invasive group A b-hemolytic streptococcal (GABHS) infections is often precipitous, requiring prompt diagnosis and rapid initiation of appropriate therapy. Therefore, physicians must have a high index of suspicion of this disease, particularly in patients at increased risk (eg, those with varicella or diabetes mellitus). Although a relationship between the use of nonsteroid...

A total of 150 children from two pediatric practices with clinical and bacteriologic evidence of acute group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal (GABHS) pharyngitis randomly received cefadroxil monohydrate (75 children) or phenoxymethyl penicillin (75 children). Cefadroxil was given once daily, while penicillin was given three times daily. The treatment groups were similar in age, sex, race, illness...

Erysipelas is an acute superficial cutaneous cellulitis that commonly occurs not only in elderly and immunocompromised persons, but also in neonates and small children subsequent to bacterial inoculation through a break in the skin barrier. Group A Beta-hemolytic streptococcus (GABHS, Streptoccocus pyogenes) is the usual etiologic agent. Factors that predispose pediatric patients to the develop...

The course of severe invasive group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal (GABHS) infections is often precipitous, requiring prompt diagnosis and rapid initiation of appropriate therapy. Therefore, physicians must have a high index of suspicion of this disease, particularly in patients at increased risk (e.g., those with varicella or diabetes mellitus). Although a relationship between the use of nonst...

BACKGROUND It has been proposed that infection by group A beta-hemolytic streptococci (GABHS) can trigger acute symptom exacerbations among patients with Tourette's syndrome (TS) or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), via autoimmune mechanisms. OBJECTIVE To examine the temporal relationship between newly acquired GABHS infections (and other immunologic indices) and acute exacerbations of tic...