Outbreak of Puerperal Fever Due to Group A Streptococci
Author Information
Author(s): Jacques F.G.M. Meis, Harry L. Muytjens, Paul P. van den Berg, Andreas Voss, Willem J.G. Melchers
Primary Institution: University Hospital Nijmegen
Hypothesis
Can random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis effectively identify the source of an outbreak of puerperal fever caused by Streptococcus pyogenes?
Conclusion
RAPD typing is a fast and reliable tool for epidemiological studies of S. pyogenes and is more efficient in strain differentiation than classical serotyping.
Supporting Evidence
- Identical fingerprint patterns were found in isolates from patients and the obstetrician.
- The outbreak was stopped after antimicrobial treatment of the physician and his family members.
- RAPD analysis provided higher resolution than classical serotyping methods.
Takeaway
This study shows that a doctor with a sore throat can spread a fever to new mothers, and using a special DNA test can help find out where the sickness came from.
Methodology
The outbreak was analyzed using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis to identify the source of infection.
Limitations
The study does not clarify whether the physician remained an anal carrier of GAS after treatment.
Participant Demographics
Three postpartum women and their delivering obstetrician.
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