DeWyer A, Scheel A, Webel AR, et al. - Given that 92% of group A β-hemolytic streptococcus (GAS) related acute pharyngitis occur in low-resource settings, researchers sought to assess the acute streptococcal pharyngitis burden in low resource settings so that serious poststreptococcal complications, rheumatic fever and its long-term sequel rheumatic heart disease, could be prevented. From March to April 2017, two studies in school-aged children (5 – 16 years) were performed: a cross-sectional study of streptococcal pharyngeal carriage followed by a prospective cohort study of streptococcal sore throat over 4 weeks. Outcomes revealed an overall prevalence of GAS carriage of 15.9% (79/496) indicating higher group-A strep rates in Uganda than results pooled globally [12% (range 6-28%)]. Further, pilot data infer a substantially higher percentage of sore throat that was GAS positive (41.8%) compared with pooled global rates when active recruitment is exercised. Group-A Strep was universally susceptible to penicillin and sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim