Group A streptococcal sore throat in a periurban population of northern India: a one-year prospective study

Objective To estimate the incidence and risk factors of group A streptococc us (GAS) sore throat among school-aged children living in a periurban slum area of Chandigarh, North India. Methods A total of 536 children aged 5-15 years from 261 families identifie d by a systematic random selection method were enrolled in the study. Episo des of sore throat were recorded through fortnightly home visits over a one -year period. The local vernacular (Hindi) terms gala kharab (bad throat) a nd khansijukam (cough and cold) were used to identify symptoms of sore thro at, and throat swab specimens were collected from children who had these sy mptoms on the day of the home visit. Bacterial culture was carried out and the isolation of GAS was confirmed using group-A-specific antiserum. Findings The incidences of sore throat and GAS sore throat were, respective ly, 7.05 and 0.95 episodes per child-year. The incidence was higher in the following situations: among Ii-year-olds, during the winter (November to Ja nuary) and rainy (August) months (a bimodal peak), among children living in houses where there was no separate room for the kitchen, and in homes that included a tobacco smoker. Conclusion The results show that the incidence of GAS sore throat was relat ed to age, season, and indoor air pollution.