[The microbe colonization of the palatine tonsils of healthy school age children]

W Mücke1, H C Huber, U Ritter

  • 1Institut für Toxikologie und Umwelthygiene der Technischen Universität München.

Zentralblatt Fur Hygiene Und Umweltmedizin = International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Medicine
|August 1, 1994
PubMed

Insights

A 1988-1992 study of 1799 Bavarian children found significant tonsillar carriage rates of beta-hemolytic Streptococci (28.6%) and Enterobacteriaceae (17.4%). Candida spp. were also prevalent, highlighting common microbial flora in young children.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Pediatrics
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Childhood tonsillar flora is crucial for understanding respiratory health.
  • Identifying common bacterial and fungal carriage in young children is important for public health surveillance.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the prevalence of specific indicator-germs in the tonsillar flora of preschool-aged children.
  • To establish baseline data on common microbial carriage in Bavarian kindergartens.

Main Methods:

  • Microbiological examination of tonsillar swabs from 1799 children aged six.
  • Analysis focused on five indicator-germs: beta-hemolytic Streptococci, Enterobacteriaceae, Candida spp., Pseudomonadales, and moulds.
  • Data collected between 1988 and 1992 in Bavaria, Germany.

Main Results:

  • Prevalence of beta-hemolytic Streptococci carriage was 28.6%.
  • Enterobacteriaceae were carried by 17.4% of the children.
  • Candida spp. were found in 11.8%, while Pseudomonadales and moulds were detected in 0.6% of samples.

Conclusions:

  • Beta-hemolytic Streptococci and Enterobacteriaceae represent common tonsillar flora in young Bavarian children.
  • Candida spp. carriage is also notable, suggesting potential implications for pediatric health.
  • Findings provide valuable epidemiological data on microbial colonization in preschool populations.

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