Outbreak of invasive group A streptococcal disease among children attending a day-care center.

Background: Most cases of invasive group A streptococcal (GAS) disease arise sporadically in the community, but outbreaks of severe invasive GAS infections have been reported in closed environments, such as military populations, family communities and hospitals. An outbreak of invasive GAS disease involving 3 cases of streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (TSS), one with a fatal course, occurred among children attending a day-care center located in Cantabria, Northern Spain.

Objective: To determine the characteristics of GAS isolates obtained from the outbreak environment.

[Outbreak of streptococcal toxic shock syndrome in a day care center in Cantabria, Spain, 2006].

Background: Beta hemolytic group A streptococcus only exceptionally produces aggressive disease with high lethality. Even more uncommon is the occurrence of an outbreak. In Spain, no outbreak in child care center has been previously described.