Abstract

Streptococci, pathogenic to human subjects, are mostly β-hemolytic and generally belong to groups A and D. Besides group A and D, organisms belonging to B, C, and G have long been known to cause infections, but their clinical importance has not been recognized until quite recently. The incidence of fatal neonatal infections of group B has been increasing particularly during the last decade. However, there has been only a few reports on group B, C, and G infection in Korea. This study was made to determine serological group of clinical isolates of β-hemolytic streptococci by coagglutination method and to clarify the B, C, and G infection in Korea. β-hemolytic streptococci isolated from Yonsei Medical Center specimen during August 1979 October 1980 were studied and the following results were obtained. 1) A total of 414 isolates were obtained and their groups were: A 19.1%, B 6.3%, C 11.4%, G 13.7%, and nongroupable 49.5%, 2) Groups B, C, and G were most frequently isolated from the respiratory tract specimens. Excluding respiratory sources, group B was mainly isolated from the urogenital tract, and group G from various wounds. 3) Among the 126 patients, who were categorized as having definite infections, 12 yielded group B, 3 group C and 27 group G organisms. There were 8 cases each of the respiratory and urogenital tract infections, and 26 infections on various other sites. 4) From patients under 10 years of age, 50.7% of B, C, and G organisms were isolated. 8.0% of the cultures were isolated from patients 60 years and over. There was a fatal neonatal meningitis and septicemia due to group B organism. The organisms were isolated more frequently from male patients. 5) Majority of the patients who yielded the organisms were found to have underlying diseases such as tissue injury, neoplasm, tuberculosis and diabetes mellitus. It is concluded that group B, C and G streptococci cause respiratory infection not frequently, but they often invade otter sited. Patients with underlying diseases are prone to be infected by the organisms and some of them can be fatal. Therefore it is important to identify not only group A but also 5, C and G organisms.