Epidemiology of group-A streptococcal infection amongst children of different ethnic groups in Darjeeling.

ABSTRACT

The carrier rate of Group A Streptococcus (GAS) was studied amongst 932 children from 1+ upto 12 years of age in three major racial groups in the foothills of the Darjeeling district of West Bengal. It was altogether 13 per cent and was found to be evenly distributed in the three ethnic groups as Gurkhas 11 per cent, Rajbanshis 15 per cent and Cosmopolitans 13 per cent, but the incidence of Rheumatic fever and/or Rheumatic heart diseases were unnoticed among the Gurkha children who also had significant low ASO titres.