Abstract :
The emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has presented a formidable medical challenge to health systems and clinicians. This study was designed to investigate the incidence of βhaemolytic streptococci in patients with COVID-19 and study their antimicrobial susceptibility patterns. A total of 378 throat swab samples were collected from Covid-19 patients who suffering from acute pharyngitis. Streptococcal identification was determined by colonial morphology, microscopic, and biochemical tests. Streptex agglutination test was used to classify streptococci into different groups. β-hemolytic isolates were tested for their production of virulence factors and study of their antimicrobial susceptibility patterns. Results of PCR showed that (250) patients had Covid-19 positive results. From the throat swab samples with positive cultures, 135 (54%) isolates belonged to genus Streptococcus, of which 110 (81.4%) were β-hemolytic, 8 (5.9%) α-hemolytic, and 17 (12.6%) were non-hemolytic streptococci. Out of (110) β-hemolytic streptococcal isolates, 58 (52.7) isolates belonged to group A; 6 (5.4%) isolates belong to group C, 3 (2.7%) isolates belong to group F, and 43 (39%) isolates belong to group G. All S. group A streptococci were lipase and protease producers and had a capsule but they were negative for Nitrocefin disk method and all isolates were resistant to most of the antibiotic classes tested. This study is considered one of the few studies in Iraq that accomplished for characterization of bacteria isolated from Covid-19 patients with acute bacterial pharyngitis. The study concluded that a high rates of group A and G β-hemolytic Streptococci were recorded among Covid-19 patients with acute pharyngitis.
