This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Group A streptococcus outbreak emphasized need for infection programs
CDC.MMWR. 2011;60:1445-1449.
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
Deficiencies in infection prevention measures led to an outbreak of group A streptococcus infections in a skilled nursing facility in Pennsylvania. Two deaths were reported among residents, according to a recent Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
After the outbreak, the Montgomery County Health Department, the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the CDC set out to identify the source.
Staff members and residents of the 150-bed facility were screened for group A streptococcus infection; those infected were treated with antibiotics (n=23). Officials identified deficiencies in infection prevention measures at the facility, such as ineffective hand hygiene practices among staff members.
Between Oct. 12, 2009, and Sept. 22, 2010, the researchers identified 10 noninvasive infections, 13 invasive infections and two deaths attributed to group A streptococcus. The median age of the patients was 55 years; 52% were male and 48% black.
“Nursing facilities need strong infection prevention programs, with emphasis on hand hygiene and wound care, to prevent health care–associated outbreaks of group A streptococcus infection,” CDC officials wrote. “Single cases of invasive group A streptococcus should be investigated by long-term care facilities, with ongoing communication with local and state health departments and acute care facilities. Efforts to prevent and control group A streptococcus infections should include methods to identify deficiencies in infection prevention and rapid remediation of any deficiencies.”
In an editorial note, CDC officials said this is one of the largest and most prolonged invasive group A streptococcus outbreaks in a nursing facility. “The four different emm types from case-patients and carriers and the long duration of the outbreak suggest it did not arise from a single source. The investigation identified infection prevention lapses and an association between two or more wounds and group A streptococcus infection.”
 |
Follow InfectiousDiseaseNews.com on Twitter. |