[The prevalence of nasopharyngeal Neisseria meningitidis carriage, serogroup distribution, and antibiotic resistance among healthy children in Cankaya municipality schools of Ankara province].
Meningococci responsible for significant morbidity and mortality rates in children are found in the oropharynx and nasopharynx and communicated with droplets. In this study, the prevalence of nasopharyngeal Neisseria meningitidis carriage, serogroup distribution and antibiotic resistance were determined among healthy children in Cankaya municipality of Ankara province. The study involved 1155 students aged 7-19 years. Systematic sampling method was used for sample selection. To isolate N. meningitidis, modified Thayer-Martin medium was used. The antibiotic susceptibilities of N. meningitidis isolates were determined by agar dilution method for penicillin, sulfadiazine, rifampicin, and azithromycin. N. meningitidis carriage prevalence was found as 10.4% with serogroup B being the most predominant (47.5%). The prevalence of N. meningitidis carriage was found to be closely associated with living conditions however, tonsillectomy, tonsillar hypertrophy, passive or active smoking did not affect the rate of carriage. Overcrowded life style, use of old-fashioned stoves for heating, and living in shanty housing were determined as risk factors increasing N. meningitidis carriage. None of the strains showed beta-lactamase activity, and five strains (4.2%) had decreased sensitivity to penicillin. The resistance against sulfadiazine was 54.4%, while it was 26.9% against azithromycin. No rifampicin-resistant strain were detected. It can be concluded that the prevalence of meningococcal carriage in this study was similar to that of other European countries. Rifampicin should be the first drug of choice both for the treatment of meningococcal carriers and for the prophylaxis of the subjects who had been in contact with patients with meningococcal infection.
Hacettepe Universitesi Tip Fakültesi, Mikrobiyoloji ve Klinik Mikrobiyoloji Anabilim Dali, Ankara.
Serpil
S
Ercis
Ozgen
O
Köseoğlu
Siavosh
S
Salmanzadeh-Ahrabi
Murat
M
Ercis
Levent
L
Akin
Cülşen
C
Hasçelik
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017963:Azithromycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D002353:Carrier State / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008589:Meningococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D009305:Nasopharynx / Q000382:microbiology*; D009345:Neisseria meningitidis / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D010406:Penicillins / Q000494:pharmacology; D015995:Prevalence; D012293:Rifampin / Q000494:pharmacology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012703:Serotyping; D013411:Sulfadiazine / Q000494:pharmacology; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D010406:Penicillins; D013411:Sulfadiazine; D017963:Azithromycin; D012293:Rifampin