BACKGROUND: Staphylococcal aureus (SA) colonization in early infancy is common, but the pattern and factors affecting its acquisition and persistence in the first few months of life are not well studied. The aim is to study the rate of SA nasopharyngeal (NP) colonization at monthly intervals in the first 6 months of life and its association with environmental and host factors and other pathogenic NP bacteria. METHODS: Data from a prospective study were analyzed on bacterial cultures of 1765 NP swabs from 367 infants who were followed from birth to 6 months of age. Demographic, breastfeeding, cigarette smoke exposure and day care attendance data were collected at each monthly visit. RESULTS: The rate of infants colonized with SA was highest at age 1 month (25%) and declined to lowest rate by age 6 months (12%). The proportion of SA strains that was methicillin-resistant SA was also highest at age 1 month and declined rapidly by age 4 months (18% vs. 6%, P = 0.05). Colonization with Streptococcus pneumoniae (SP), nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHI) and Moraxella catarrhalis (MC) increased at different rates up to age 6 months. Univariate analysis showed that SA colonization rate was significantly lower with increasing age, black race, day care attendance, and colonization with NTHI, MC and SP (P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that this effect was independently associated only with increasing age and MC colonization (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the time to first acquisition of SA from one month of age onwards was significantly associated with day care attendance, and NTHI and MC colonization. None of the infants colonized with SA developed SA infections through age 6 months. CONCLUSIONS: SA colonization of NP begins very early in life and declines quickly. Methicillin-resistant SA has lower ability to maintain prolonged colonization status than methicillin-susceptible strains in the first 6 months of life. As the NP is colonized with other respiratory bacterial pathogens, the colonization with SA declines; however, this effect is stronger with Gram-negative bacteria, such as NTHI and MC.
BACKGROUND: Staphylococcal aureus (SA) colonization in early infancy is common, but the pattern and factors affecting its acquisition and persistence in the first few months of life are not well studied. The aim is to study the rate of SA nasopharyngeal (NP) colonization at monthly intervals in the first 6 months of life and its association with environmental and host factors and other pathogenic NP bacteria. METHODS: Data from a prospective study were analyzed on bacterial cultures of 1765 NP swabs from 367 infants who were followed from birth to 6 months of age. Demographic, breastfeeding, cigarette smoke exposure and day care attendance data were collected at each monthly visit. RESULTS: The rate of infants colonized with SA was highest at age 1 month (25%) and declined to lowest rate by age 6 months (12%). The proportion of SA strains that was methicillin-resistant SA was also highest at age 1 month and declined rapidly by age 4 months (18% vs. 6%, P = 0.05). Colonization with Streptococcus pneumoniae (SP), nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHI) and Moraxella catarrhalis (MC) increased at different rates up to age 6 months. Univariate analysis showed that SA colonization rate was significantly lower with increasing age, black race, day care attendance, and colonization with NTHI, MC and SP (P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that this effect was independently associated only with increasing age and MC colonization (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the time to first acquisition of SA from one month of age onwards was significantly associated with day care attendance, and NTHI and MC colonization. None of the infants colonized with SA developed SAinfections through age 6 months. CONCLUSIONS:SA colonization of NP begins very early in life and declines quickly. Methicillin-resistant SA has lower ability to maintain prolonged colonization status than methicillin-susceptible strains in the first 6 months of life. As the NP is colonized with other respiratory bacterial pathogens, the colonization with SA declines; however, this effect is stronger with Gram-negative bacteria, such as NTHI and MC.
Authors: D Bogaert; A van Belkum; M Sluijter; A Luijendijk; R de Groot; H C Rümke; H A Verbrugh; P W M Hermans Journal: Lancet Date: 2004-06-05 Impact factor: 79.321
Authors: Gili Regev-Yochay; Krzysztof Trzcinski; Claudette M Thompson; Richard Malley; Marc Lipsitch Journal: J Bacteriol Date: 2006-07 Impact factor: 3.490
Authors: Natalia Jimenez-Truque; Sara Tedeschi; Elizabeth J Saye; Brian D McKenna; Weston Langdon; Jesse P Wright; Andrew Alsentzer; Sandra Arnold; Benjamin R Saville; Wenli Wang; Isaac Thomsen; C Buddy Creech Journal: Pediatrics Date: 2012-04-02 Impact factor: 7.124
Authors: E Chatzakis; E Scoulica; N Papageorgiou; S Maraki; G Samonis; E Galanakis Journal: Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis Date: 2011-03-06 Impact factor: 3.267
Authors: Sharon J Peacock; Anita Justice; D Griffiths; G D I de Silva; M N Kantzanou; Derrick Crook; Karen Sleeman; Nicholas P J Day Journal: J Clin Microbiol Date: 2003-12 Impact factor: 5.948
Authors: Daniel C Lee; Anchasa Kananurak; Michelle Tn Tran; Patricia A Connolly; Christopher R Polage; Tadayuki Iwase; Charles L Bevins; Mark A Underwood Journal: Pediatr Infect Dis J Date: 2019-07 Impact factor: 2.129
Authors: Joseph A Lewnard; Noga Givon-Lavi; Amit Huppert; Melinda M Pettigrew; Gili Regev-Yochay; Ron Dagan; Daniel M Weinberger Journal: J Infect Dis Date: 2015-12-23 Impact factor: 5.226
Authors: Tasnee Chonmaitree; Kristofer Jennings; Georgiy Golovko; Kamil Khanipov; Maria Pimenova; Janak A Patel; David P McCormick; Michael J Loeffelholz; Yuriy Fofanov Journal: PLoS One Date: 2017-07-14 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Sharon B Meropol; Kurt C Stange; Michael R Jacobs; Judith K Weiss; Saralee Bajaksouzian; Robert A Bonomo Journal: Open Forum Infect Dis Date: 2016-12-05 Impact factor: 3.835