Foodborne Outbreak of Group G Streptococcal Pharyngitis in a School Dormitory in Osaka, Japan.

In September 2016, 140 patients with primary symptoms of sore throat and fever were identified in a school dormitory in Osaka, Japan. Epidemiological and laboratory investigations determined that these symptomatic conditions were from a foodborne outbreak of group G streptococcus (GGS), with GGS being isolated from samples from patients, cooks, and foods. The strain of GGS was identified as Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilis of two emm types (stG652.0 and stC36.0). The causative food, a broccoli salad, was contaminated with the two types of S. dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilis, totaling 1.3 × 104 CFU/g. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) of samples from patients, cooks, and foods produced similar band patterns among samples with the same emm type. This result suggested the possibility of exposure from the contaminated food. The average onset time was 44.9 h and the prevalence rate was 62%. This is the first report to identify the causative food of a foodborne outbreak by Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilis.

[Efficacy and Indication of Fibrinogen Replacement Therapy in Thoracic Aortic Surgery A Retrospective Cohort Study].

BACKGROUND: Fibrinogen replacement therapy con- tributes to effective hemostasis and saving blood trans- fusions in critical hemorrhage. We retrospectively studied the efficacy and indication for cryoprecipitate or fibrinogen concentrate in thoracic aortic surgery. METHODS: In 169 patients undergoing thoracic aortic surgery, 92 (54.4%) patients received dryoprecipitate or fibrinogen concentrate and 77 (45.6%) patients did not We compared them with regard to postoperative bleeding and perioperative blood transfusion. We deter- mined the effective dose of the fibrinogen in cryopre- cipitate or fibrinogen concentrate for increasing the fibrinogen level. RESULTS: The cutoff value of the fibrinogen level at the end of cardiopulmonary bypass between both groups was 100 mg · dl⁻¹. For a fibrinogen level less than 130 mg · dl⁻¹ during cardiopulmonary bypass, the patients who received cryoprecipitate or fibrinogen concentrate had less postoperative bleeding (P<0.01) and fewer transfusions of total blood, fresh frozen plasma, and platelet concentrates (P<0.05). The effec- tive dose 50 of fibrinogen amount was 0.031-0.051 g - kg⁻¹. CONCLUSIONS: The fibrinogen amount of 2-3 g (per 50-70 kg in body weight) in cryoprecipitate or fibrino- gen concentrate effectively reduces postoperative bleeding and perioperative blood transfusions when a fibrinogen level is less than 100-130 mg · dl⁻¹ during cardiopulmonary bypass.