RECURRENT STAPHYLOCOCCAL SCALDED SKIN SYNDROME IN CHILDREN - REPORT OF 2 CASES

A localised ''scalded skin syndrome'' occurred in two male siblings ag ed five and ten years old, in Morogoro, Tanzania, This condition recur red in the same children within a period of about 12 months, A haemoly tic ampicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus was isolated from the b ullous material, suggesting that the condition was staphylococcal scal ded skin syndrome (SSSS), This implies that the bacterial isolate was an exfoliative toxin (ET) producing S. aureus. This infection was, how ever, striking because SSSS occurs mostly in newborns, and it is rarel y recurrent. It is possible that a new strain with particular adaptabi lity, or an inherent susceptibility to the S. aureus of the affected c hildren was the cause of this recurrency.