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Nasopharyngeal carriage of Haemophilus influenzae
1Department of Microbiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi. Bimal@aiims.aiims.ac.in
Insights
Multidrug-resistant nasopharyngeal Haemophilus influenzae (H. influenzae) in children may act as a reservoir. Monitoring this resistance can help track invasive H. influenzae strains.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric infectious diseases
- Microbiology
- Public health
Background:
- Nasopharyngeal colonization by Haemophilus influenzae (H. influenzae) is a significant concern in young children, particularly in developing nations.
- Understanding carriage dynamics is crucial for controlling H. influenzae-related diseases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence and characteristics of H. influenzae nasopharyngeal carriage in school-aged children.
- To determine the antibiotic resistance patterns of carried H. influenzae strains.
Main Methods:
- Screening of school-aged children for H. influenzae carriage.
- Characterization of H. influenzae isolates for biotypes, capsular serotypes, and antibiotic resistance profiles.
Main Results:
- A notable proportion (25/44) of H. influenzae isolates were serotype b.
- High resistance rates were observed for ampicillin (79%), trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (84%), and erythromycin (95%).
- Antibiotic resistance profiles of nasopharyngeal isolates correlated with those from invasive disease.
Conclusions:
- Multidrug-resistant H. influenzae nasopharyngeal carriage in healthy children represents a potential reservoir for infection.
- Monitoring nasopharyngeal H. influenzae antibiotic resistance serves as a viable surrogate for tracking invasive strains.
Objective:
Nasopharyngeal colonization of Haemophilus influenzae (H. influenzae) in young children may be important in developing countries.
Method:
In this study, we screened school going children for carriage of H. influenzae. A total of 44 H. influenzae isolates out of a collection of 162 were characterized for biotypes, capsular serotypes and antibiotic resistance.
Results:
A significant proportion of H. influenzae (25/44) isolates were serotype b. High antibiotic resistance was observed against commonly administered antibiotics like ampicillin (79%), chloramphenicol (20%), trimethoprim sulfamethoxazole (84%) and erythromycin (95%). Comparison of antibiotic resistance profile of nasopharyngeal isolates was observed to be correlated with those of H. influenzae from disease.
Conclusion:
Multidrug resistant nasopharyngeal H. influenzae in young healthy children may act as reservoir. Monitoring of antibiotic resistance among nasopharyngeal H. influenzae as a surrogate for invasive H. influenzae seems an attractive option.