Modelling the co-occurrence of Streptococcus pneumoniae with other bacterial and viral pathogens in the upper

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A Mouse Model for the Transition of Streptococcus pneumoniae from Colonizer to Pathogen upon Viral Co-Infection Recapitulates Age-Exacerbated Illness
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A Mouse Model for the Transition of Streptococcus pneumoniae from Colonizer to Pathogen upon Viral Co-Infection Recapitulates Age-Exacerbated Illness

Published on: September 28, 2022

Peter Jacoby1, Kelly Watson, Jacinta Bowman

  • 1Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, Centre for Child Health Research, The University of Western Australia, WA, Australia. peterj@ichr.uwa.edu.au

Vaccine
|October 13, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Otitis media (OM) disproportionately affects Aboriginal children. Rhinovirus and adenovirus infections are linked to increased bacterial carriage, suggesting viral vaccines could reduce OM burden.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Pediatrics
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Otitis media (OM) is a significant health issue in children, especially Australian Aboriginal children.
  • Key pathogens associated with OM include Streptococcus pneumoniae, Moraxella catarrhalis, Haemophilus influenzae, and viruses like rhinovirus and adenovirus.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate nasopharyngeal microbial interactions in Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children in Western Australia.
  • To identify correlations between pathogens at both host and microbe levels using a multivariate random effects model.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of 435 nasopharyngeal samples from 79 Aboriginal children and 570 samples from 88 non-Aboriginal children.
  • Application of a multivariate random effects model for longitudinal data analysis to identify pathogen correlations.

Main Results:

  • Rhinovirus infection showed a positive correlation with the carriage of S. pneumoniae, H. influenzae, and M. catarrhalis.
  • Adenovirus was positively associated with M. catarrhalis carriage.
  • Generally, positive associations were observed between bacterial pathogens at both host and microbe levels.

Conclusions:

  • Positive viral-bacterial associations at the microbe level support the hypothesis that viral infections can increase susceptibility to bacterial carriage.
  • Viral vaccination strategies may play a role in mitigating the burden of bacterial otitis media.

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