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Colonization rate of bacteria in the throat of healthy infants

Matitiahu Berkovitch1, Mordechai Bulkowstein, Diana Zhovtis

  • 1Division of Pediatrics, Assaf Harofeh Medical Center, Affiliated to the Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Zerifin 70300, Israel. mberkovitch@asaf.health.gov.il

International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology
|March 7, 2002
PubMed

Insights

Healthy children under 2 years old frequently carry pathogenic bacteria like Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae in their throats. This study highlights the prevalence of these bacteria in young children, including beta-hemolytic Streptococcus group A in infants under one year.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric infectious diseases
  • Microbiology
  • Public health

Background:

  • The human throat harbors diverse bacteria, posing a risk for infections in adjacent sterile sites.
  • Understanding bacterial carriage in young children is crucial for infection control and prevention strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the prevalence of key pathogenic bacteria in the throat of healthy children under two years of age.
  • To identify specific bacterial species commonly carried by this age group.

Main Methods:

  • Throat cultures were obtained from 1000 healthy infants (1-24 months old) attending well-baby clinics.
  • Participants had not received antibiotic therapy for 14 days prior to sample collection.

Main Results:

  • Overall, 19.8% of cultures were positive for pathogenic bacteria.
  • Staphylococcus aureus was the most common isolate (9.9%).
  • Prevalence rates for other pathogens included Streptococcus pneumoniae (2.3%), Haemophilus influenzae type b (2.8%), non-typeable H. influenzae (2.4%), and beta-hemolytic Streptococcus group A (1.3%).

Conclusions:

  • Children under two years can be asymptomatic carriers of multiple pathogenic bacteria.
  • Beta-hemolytic Streptococcus group A was notably found in infants under one year, contrasting with some previous research.
  • Findings underscore the importance of considering bacterial carriage in pediatric respiratory health.
Abstract

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