SynthesisPLoS neglected tropical diseases2018
Group A Streptococcus pharyngitis and pharyngeal carriage: A meta-analysis.
Synthesis in PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT04256694 (Rapid Antigen Test Results for Group A Streptococcus in Healthy Adults), which is not on this map. Cited by 85 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Rapid Antigen Test Results for Group A Streptococcus in Healthy Adults
Who cites it
85 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 191 citations in OpenAlex.
- Treatment of acute pharyngitis in children: an Italian intersociety consensus (SIPPS-SIP-SITIP-FIMP-SIAIP-SIMRI-FIMMG).Italian journal of pediatrics · 2024Guideline
- Time to negative throat culture following initiation of antibiotics for pharyngeal group AEuro surveillance : bulletin Europeen sur les maladies transmissibles = European communicable disease bulletin · 2023Pooled it
- The epidemiology of superficial Streptococcal A (impetigo and pharyngitis) infections in Australia: A systematic review.PloS one · 2023Pooled it
- Multi-center investigation on the influence of clinical characteristics and molecular group A streptococci diagnostics on the management of tonsillopharyngitis in pediatric practices in Berlin-BASE study.European journal of pediatrics · 2026Trial
- Streptococcus pyogenes Colonization in Children Aged 24-59 Months in the Gambia: Impact of Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccine and Associated Serological Responses.The Journal of infectious diseases · 2023Trial
- Influence of a guideline or an additional rapid strep test on antibiotic prescriptions for sore throat: the cluster randomized controlled trial of HALS (Hals und Antibiotika Leitlinien Strategien).BMC primary care · 2023Trial
- Clinical course of pharyngotonsillitis with group A streptococcus treated with different penicillin V strategies, divided in groups of Centor Score 3 and 4: a prospective study in primary care.BMC infectious diseases · 2022Trial
- An emm-type specific qPCR to track bacterial load during experimental human Streptococcus pyogenes pharyngitis.BMC infectious diseases · 2021Trial
- Prevalence of Group AThe American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene · 2020Trial
- Subclinical exposure to Streptococcus pyogenes drives the development of long-lived homologous immunity.Nature communications · 2026Article
- Detection of asymptomatic group AMicrobiology spectrum · 2026Observational
- Antibiotic prescribing practices and appropriateness of prescriptions in outpatient paediatric acute respiratory tract infections in Viet Nam.JAC-antimicrobial resistance · 2026Article
- Modelling the Effects of Treatment Failure on the Minor Outbreak Duration for Carrier-Related Infectious Disease.Epidemiologia (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Assessing Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Adults Aged 21-62 Regarding Antibiotic Use for Treatment of Upper Respiratory Tract Infections in Children: A multi-country Cross-Sectional Study.Journal of preventive medicine and hygiene · 2026Article
- Challenges and insights in self-swab surveillance for asymptomatic Streptococcus pyogenes carriage.BMC research notes · 2026Article
- Prevalence of Group A Streptococcal Pharyngitis and Antibiotic Susceptibility in Paediatric Patients With Sore Throats in Gaborone, Botswana.Tropical medicine & international health : TM & IH · 2026Article
- Throat Swab Culture Positivity Rate, Antibiotic Susceptibility Profile, and Associated Risk Factors ofInternational journal of microbiology · 2026Article
- Molecular epidemiology of respiratory viral infections in hospitalized children in Novosibirsk, Russia, 2021-2023.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2026Article
- Early-life serological profiles and the development of natural protective humoral immunity to Streptococcus pyogenes in a high-burden setting.Nature medicine · 2025Article
- Elucidating the role of group A Streptococcus genomics and pharyngeal microbiota in acute paediatric pharyngitis.Scientific reports · 2025Article
25 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveAntibiotic treatment of Group A Streptococcus (GAS) pharyngitis is important in acute rheumatic fever (ARF) prevention, however clinical guidelines for prescription vary. GAS carriers with acute viral infections may receive antibiotics unnecessarily. This review assessed the prevalence of GAS pharyngitis and carriage in different settings.
methodsA random-effects meta-analysis was performed. Prevalence estimates for GAS+ve pharyngitis, serologically-confirmed GAS pharyngitis and asymptomatic pharyngeal carriage were generated. Findings were stratified by age group, recruitment method and country income level. Medline and EMBASE databases were searched for relevant literature published between 1 January 1946 and 7 April 2017. Studies reporting prevalence data on GAS+ve or serologically-confirmed GAS pharyngitis that stated participants exhibited symptoms of pharyngitis or upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) were included. Included studies reporting the prevalence of asymptomatic GAS carriage needed to state participants were asymptomatic.
results285 eligible studies were identified. The prevalence of GAS+ve pharyngitis was 24.1% (95% CI: 22.6-25.6%) in clinical settings (which used 'passive recruitment' methods), but less in sore throat management programmes (which used 'active recruitment', 10.0%, 8.1-12.4%). GAS+ve pharyngitis was more prevalent in high-income countries (24.3%, 22.6-26.1%) compared with low/middle-income countries (17.6%, 14.9-20.7%). In clinical settings, approximately 10% of children swabbed with a sore throat have serologically-confirmed GAS pharyngitis, but this increases to around 50-60% when the child is GAS culture-positive. The prevalence of serologically-confirmed GAS pharyngitis was 10.3% (6.6-15.7%) in children from high-income countries and their asymptomatic GAS carriage prevalence was 10.5% (8.4-12.9%). A lower carriage prevalence was detected in children from low/middle income countries (5.9%, 4.3-8.1%).
conclusionsIn active sore throat management programmes, if the prevalence of GAS detection approaches the asymptomatic carriage rate (around 6-11%), there may be little benefit from antibiotic treatment as the majority of culture-positive patients are likely carriers.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.