THE PROBLEM OF THE DANGEROUS CARRIER OF HEMOLYTIC STREPTOCOCCI

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Abstract
The prevalence of epidemics of streptococcic1 infection in the armed forces during World War II2 has focused attention on the relation of "dangerous" carriers3 of hemolytic streptococci to the spread of disease.4 Exploration of this problem has shown that nasal carriers of these micro-organisms are more likely to transmit infection than throat carriers with negative nose cultures.5 The reason for this is that the nasal carrier provides a much larger bacterial dosage for the infection of susceptible individuals than does the throat carrier, as demonstrated by quantitative cultures of the environment, including the air.6 These facts apply equally well to hospitalized patients and to ambulatory carriers in army barracks.7 It was therefore important to know whether the nasal carrier state could be eliminated or modified by modern chemotherapeutic agents, for suppression of the dissemination of hemolytic streptococci by carriers would have many practical