A food-borne outbreak of streptococcal infection

Abstract

1. A food-borne outbreak of streptococcal infection in a cavalry regiment is described.2. A controlled therapeutic experiment was carried out on the forty-nine patients admitted to hospital. Those given chemotherapy recovered more quickly than the controls, recovery being most rapid in the group given intramuscular penicillin.3.Typical scarlatiniform eruptions were seen in ten cases. Streptococcal antitoxin appeared to prevent the occurrence of rashes, but had no significant effect on the duration of fever and toxaemia.4. Upper respiratory complications supervened in ten cases. Evidence is presented which suggests that they were due to cross-infection.