Factors Associated With The Asymptomatic Carrier Status Of Beta-Hemolytic Streptococci In School Children From Two Municipalities In Aragua State, Venezuela

A healthy carrier harbors an infectious agent without presenting clinical signs or symptoms of disease, being a source of infection. The bacterias that are part of the microbiota and are capable of producing pathologies, the beta hemolytic streptococci (EBH) are found in 15 to 20% in the healthy population. The most frequent infection caused by this pathogen is pharyngitis which is self-limiting but can lead to serious complications. This research aims to identify, through the bacteriological analysis of pharyngeal exudate, asymptomatic carriers of EBH in children from two municipalities of Aragua state and to correlate with the factors associated with this state. Of the 291 individuals in the study, 28 (18%) were asymptomatic EBH carriers in Girardot municipality and 14 (17%) in Francisco Linares Alcantara municipality (FLA). Among strains isolated in both municipalities, a predominance of EBGC was found, followed by EBGG and EBGD. When determining the associated factors, the variables gender, presence of smokers, infected persons in the home, clinical signs and tonsillectomy showed no association with asymptomatic carrier status. However, it was observed that colonization in the municipality Girardot, is more frequent in children of 9 years and that sleep alone. For the FLA municipality, EBH isolates are more frequent in individuals with tonsils (without tonsillectomy). This type of study contributes to know the prevalence of potentially pathogenic bacteria that can colonize the pharynx and its associated factors, useful to avoid the dissemination of the microorganism.