Role of beta-hemolytic group C streptococci in pharyngitis: incidence and biochemical characteristics of Streptococcus equisimilis and Streptococcus anginosus in patients and healthy controls

Abstract

The biochemical characteristics and the isolation rates of the two Lancefield group C streptococcal species (S. equisimilis and S. anginosus) from patients with pharyngitis and asymptomatic controls were compared. Some 239 strains of beta-hemolytic group C streptococci were isolated from 1,480 patients (209 strains) with pharyngitis and 227 controls (30 strains). A total of 44 strains displayed broad hemolysis, were Voges-Proskauer test negative, and produced glucuronidase. Some 72.7% of these strains also fermented ribose. A second group of 159 strains was Voges-Proskauer test positive and glucuronidase negative; 98.8% also displayed minute hemolysis and only 3.7% fermented ribose. These two groups represent typical large-colony S. equisimilis and small-colony S. anginosus, respectively. A small number of strains (36 in total) exhibited intermediate characteristics; morphologically, all 36 strains resembled S. anginosus, but 6 strains biochemically resembled S. equisimilis. No strains of S. equisimilis fermented sorbitol (unlike S. zooepidemicus) and all fermented trehalose (unlike S. equi). The structural carbohydrate profiles of S. equisimilis and S. anginosus both included galactosamine (consistent with their being group C organisms), but the profiles were not distinguishable. In total, 78.5% of strains from controls and 83.3% of strains from patients were determined to be the species S. anginosus. S. equisimilis was isolated from 3.0% of patients and 2.2% of controls, and S. anginosus was isolated from 11.1% of patients and 11.0% of controls. Thus, S. equisimilis and S. anginosus are both members of the normal flora of asymptomatic individuals. The incidence and biochemical characteristics of these two species are similar in patients who are healthy and those who have disease. However, a companion article provides clinical evidence associating S. equisimilis (but not s. anginosus) with pharyngitis.