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Associations Between Viral and Bacterial Potential Pathogens in the Nasopharynx of Children With and Without

Chrysanthi L Skevaki1, Paraskevi Tsialta, Aikaterini I Trochoutsou

  • 1From the *Second Department of Pediatrics, University of Athens, School of Medicine, and †Microbiology Laboratory, "P & A Kyriakou" Children's Hospital, Athens, Greece.

The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal
|August 12, 2015
PubMed

Insights

Viral respiratory infections alter nasopharyngeal (NP) bacterial colonization in children. Symptomatic children showed higher rates of Streptococcus pneumoniae (SP), Moraxella catarrhalis (MC), and mixed bacterial colonization, particularly with certain viruses.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric infectious diseases
  • Microbiology
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Nasopharyngeal (NP) bacterial colonization is a prerequisite for respiratory and invasive infections.
  • Understanding colonization patterns in children with and without viral respiratory infections is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare NP bacterial colonization rates in children with and without acute viral respiratory tract infections.
  • To investigate associations between identified microorganisms in the nasopharynx.

Main Methods:

  • Recruitment of children aged 3 months to 6 years, with and without acute viral respiratory tract infections.
  • NP sample analysis for Streptococcus pneumoniae (SP), Haemophilus influenzae (HI), Moraxella catarrhalis (MC), Staphylococcus aureus, and Streptococcus pyogenes via culture.
  • Detection of viruses using polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

Main Results:

  • Symptomatic children exhibited higher rates of SP, MC, and mixed bacterial colonization compared to asymptomatic children.
  • Moraxella catarrhalis colonization was more frequent in symptomatic, virus-positive children.
  • Specific viral associations were observed: Influenza virus with HI and MC; Respiratory Syncytial Virus with HI; Rhinovirus with MC. Negative association between SP and S. aureus was noted.

Conclusions:

  • Viral infections significantly influence NP bacterial colonization patterns in children.
  • Interactions between bacteria and viruses in the nasopharynx may impact disease development.
  • Continuous surveillance is recommended to monitor the effects of interventions like vaccines on these colonization dynamics.
Abstract

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