- LONDON (Reuters Health) -
A potentially deadly disease that begins as a sore throat is making a comeback
in the UK, possibly because doctors are being told not to prescribe antibiotics
for throat infections, scientists said on Monday.
-
- Lemierre's disease was common in the early 20th century
but largely disappeared with the advent of antibiotics. The symptoms are
a sore throat followed by infection in the lungs and liver and septicaemia
(blood poisoning). The disease is fatal if not treated.
-
- Scientists with the Public Health Laboratory Service
(PHLS) see an average of about 20 infections a year in England and Wales.
But 37 cases were identified 1999, and higher numbers were seen in 2001,
researchers said at the service's annual conference on Monday.
-
- Dr. Jon Brazier, from the PHLS Anaerobe Reference Unit
in Cardiff, said guidelines issued in 1999 urging general practitioners
(GPs) not to use antibiotics for sore throats might be partly responsible.
-
- "We cannot be sure, but it may be that this recent
increase is due to a reluctance to prescribe antibiotics," Brazier
said.
-
- Most sore throats are caused by viral infections, which
are not improved by antibiotic treatment. Doctors have been urged to avoid
using antibiotics for viral infections because this contributes to the
serious problem of antibiotic resistance.
-
- But the rare Lemierre's disease is caused by a bacterium
called Fusobacterium necrophorum, which responds to antibiotics.
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- "The key to tackling this infection is early treatment
with antibiotics, but the problem with this is that one of the initial
symptoms is a sore throat," Brazier said in a statement.
-
- He said doctors should be aware of the condition so that
they can consider antibiotic treatment if symptoms continue after a few
days.
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- "This infection can be distinguished from viral
sore throats by the severity and duration of the symptoms," he said.
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- Other clues include symptoms such as fever and tender
swollen lymph nodes, together with the absence of symptoms such as a dry
cough or runny nose, he said.
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