title: Antimicrobial susceptibility and serogroup/serotype distribution of nasopharyngeal isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae in healthy Estonian children in 1999-2003.
abstract: This study determined nasopharyngeal (NP) carriage rates of Streptococcus pneumoniae among healthy Estonian children, aged 1-7 years, and characterised the serotype/serogroup distribution and antibiotic susceptibility rates. NP swabs were collected from 685 previously healthy children attending 29 day care centres during the winters of 1999-2000 and 2003. The NP carriage rate of S. pneumoniae was 44%. Rates of penicillin and erythromycin non-susceptibility were low (both 6%), but high (67%) rates of co-trimoxazole resistance were found. Among the pneumococcal serotypes identified, 64% were included in or cross-reacted with the licensed heptavalent pneumococcal vaccine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia. eda.tamm@kliinikum.ee
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tamm
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Naaber
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maimets
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oona
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kõljalg
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lutsar
mesh_terms: D002353:Carrier State / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; D004957:Estonia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D009305:Nasopharynx / Q000382:microbiology; D012703:Serotyping; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects*