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Abstract Group A beta () hemolytic streptococcal throat infection and it’s complications constitute a major health problem. The most devastating effects on children and young adults in their most productive years. In developing areas of the world, acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease are estimated to affect nearly 20 million people and are the leading causes of cardiovascular death during the first 5 decades of life. By 2005 it was estimated that there were at least 517, 000 deaths each year due to severe GAS diseases. They estimated that there are at least 1.78 million new cases each year and a prevalence of at least 18.1 million cases. Most of which are rheumatic heart disease (at least 15.6 million cases). The incidence of pharyngeal beta hemolytic streptococcal carriage vary between countries and within the same country, depending upon season, age group, socioeconomic conditions, environmental factors and the quality of health care. The aim of this study was to determine upper limit of normal values of antistreptolysin O titer in paediatric age group from 2-15 years in Menoufiya children as there are no reference values for Menoufiya children and to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of antistreptolysin O titer for diagnosis of group A beta () hemolytic streptococcal infection.In the present study we found 33 (19%) child with positive throat culture for GAS. Their ages were 8.33 ± 3.43. They were 19 (57.6%) males and 14 (42.4%) females. They were all 33 (100%) child from rural areas.In the present study we found that the sensitivity of ASO titer for detecting GAS carriers was 87.9%, while the specificity of ASO titer for detecting GAS carriers was 20.6%, the Positive predictive value was 20.6%, while the negative predictive value was 87.9%. The accuracy of the test to detect GAS was 33.3%. |