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Infant colonization by Staphylococcus aureus: role of maternal carriage

E Chatzakis1, E Scoulica, N Papageorgiou

  • 1Paediatric Infectious Diseases Unit, University Hospital, Heraklion, Greece.

European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases : Official Publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology
|March 8, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Maternal Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) carriage is a primary factor in infant S. aureus colonization. This study found identical S. aureus strains in most infant-mother pairs, highlighting the importance of maternal screening.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Pediatrics
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Infant colonization by Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is not well understood.
  • Identifying factors influencing early S. aureus carriage is crucial for public health.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the factors associated with Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) carriage in infants.
  • To investigate the relationship between maternal and infant S. aureus colonization.

Main Methods:

  • Serial nasal swabs collected from 128 infants and mothers postpartum (0, 6, 12 months).
  • S. aureus isolates characterized using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), multilocus sequence typing (MLST), spa typing, and detection of mecA and Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) genes.
  • Analysis of carriage rates based on maternal smoking status, number of siblings, and maternal carrier status.

Main Results:

  • S. aureus isolated from 17.7% of infant swabs and 15.7% of maternal swabs.
  • Infant carriage rates were higher with carrier mothers, non-smoking mothers, and more siblings.
  • Identical S. aureus strains found in 10/15 infant-mother pairs; mecA and PVL genes detected in infant isolates, often concurrently present in maternal isolates.
  • Methicillin resistance observed in 43.6% of infant S. aureus isolates.

Conclusions:

  • Maternal Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) carriage is a principal determinant of infant colonization.
  • Early infant S. aureus colonization is strongly linked to maternal S. aureus status.
  • The high prevalence of identical strains suggests vertical transmission from mother to infant.

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