Milk epidemic of angina, originating from a Cow with mastitis and due to Streptococcus pyogenes (Lancefield group A)

Abstract

A report is given of a milk epidemic of septic sore throat, comprising about 100 cases.The epidemic originated from a cow with a slight degree of mastitis, produced by a Streptococcus pyogenes (Lancefield's group A).The same Streptococcus (which we did not succeed in typing) was isolated from 74% of the patients examined and from three persons who were handling the milk.It seems reasonable to assume that the cow was infected from the milkers. Owing to particular conditions in the distribution of the raw milk, it is possible that the milk delivered raw in the village involved on one day a massive contamination.The epidemic is characterized as moderately severe. No case terminated fatally.