The Prevalence of Group A Beta-hemolytic Streptococcus in Healthy Turkish Children in Day-care Centers in Ankara

Background: To investigate the carrier rates of group A beta-hemolytic Streptococci(GAS) in various seasons of the year in the upper respiratory tract of healthychildren in day-care centers.Methods: In this descriptive study, a total of 1893 throat swabs obtained from healthychildren 1-6 years old in 13 day-care centers were screened for betahemolyticStreptococci in Ankara, Turkey, between October 2003 and July2005. Standard microbiological techniques were used for screening.Results: In this study, a total of 61 isolates of beta-hemolytic Streptococci wereobtained. Of the isolates 75.4% were GAS. The rate of isolation was 1.03%in spring, 1.2% in summer, 2.26% in winter, and 4.08% in autumn.Conclusion: The GAS carrier rate was the highest in autumn in healthy children. A lowprevalence of GAS was observed in our country.