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Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction-based Analyses of Murine Intestinal Microbiota After Oral Antibiotic Treatment
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A prospective study of intrafamilial transmission and antimicrobial susceptibility of Moraxella catarrhalis

Hironori Masaki1, Liang Qin, Zhaoyan Zhou

  • 1Department of Internal Medicine, Tagami Hospital, Nagasaki, Japan.

Microbiology and Immunology
|June 15, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Moraxella catarrhalis spreads among children within families, but not typically to parents. This study identified dominant strains and transmission patterns using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE).

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Epidemiology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Moraxella catarrhalis is a significant human respiratory pathogen.
  • Understanding its transmission dynamics within families is crucial for public health.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate intrafamilial transmission patterns of Moraxella catarrhalis strains.
  • To analyze antimicrobial susceptibility of isolated strains.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective study involving strain isolation from family participants over 20 months.
  • Antimicrobial susceptibility testing against six antibiotic classes.
  • Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) for strain typing and genetic relatedness analysis.

Main Results:

  • Seventy-five Moraxella catarrhalis strains were isolated, with 73 being beta-lactamase-producing.
  • Twenty-five distinct PFGE patterns were identified.
  • Dominant pattern L was found in 28% of strains, primarily circulating among children in the same family over an 8-month period.
  • Evidence of spread among children was observed, but not child-to-parent transmission.

Conclusions:

  • PFGE is effective in revealing intrafamilial transmission and colonization patterns of Moraxella catarrhalis.
  • Transmission predominantly occurs among children within a household.
  • No significant treatment issues were identified based on the tested antibiotics.

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