title: Asymptomatic colonization of upper respiratory tract by potential bacterial pathogens.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To screen for asymptomatic respiratory carriage of S. pneumoniae, H. influenzae and Group A Streptococcus (GAS) in children attending JIPMER, correlate carriage rate with different socio-demographic factors and to detect antimicrobial resistance among the isolates.
  
  
  METHODS
  Throat swabs were collected from both in patients and out patients (<or=12 yr of age) and processed. Bacteria were identified by Standard techniques. Susceptibility to commonly used antimicrobial agents was determined by Kirby Bauer disc diffusion technique.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall carriage rate of respiratory pathogens was 30% with S. pneumoniae, H. influenzae and GAS accounting for 22%, 5% and 4.5% respectively. Three patients had >1 organism. Antibiotic resistance was highest in S. pneumoniae with 66.7% of strains resistant to penicillin. MDR strains were also encountered. Erythromycin resistance was observed in both H. influenzae (28.4%) and GAS (22%). No statistically significant association was found between the carriage rate of these organisms and different socio-demographic factors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  S. pneumoniae carriage rate was comparatively higher in the Community and its antimicrobial resistance is an issue to address.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, JIPMER, Puducherry, India. rupak@jipmer.net
authors.forename: Rupak
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dhakal
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sujatha
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Parija
authors.forename: B V
authors.initials: BV
authors.lastname: Bhat
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D002353:Carrier State / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D005260:Female; D006193:Haemophilus influenzae / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000187:drug effects; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes / Q000187:drug effects