Enterobacterial microflora in infancy - a case study with enhanced enrichment.
OBJECTIVE
To validate PMEU (Portable Microbe Enrichment Unit) method for monitoring the composition and development of infantile intestinal enterobacterial microflora.


METHODS
A case study of a boy with neonatal sepsis is presented. During the first 32 months, he was given 19 systemic antibiotic treatments representing seven different antibiotic classes. Seven fecal samples collected at ages from 3.4 to 31.6 months were studied for enterobacterial strains by a combination of enhanced enrichment culture in the PMEU and plate culture. The identification and phenotypic characterization of the isolates was performed by biochemical tests.


RESULTS
37/51 (73%) of the enterobacterial isolates were detected only after the PMEU enrichment. In most samples Escherichia coli strains were predominating, but also several Enterobacter, Klebsiella, Pantoea and Proteus strains could be isolated. It seemed that the antibiotic medications remarkably delayed the development of the intestinal microflora, because first enterobacterial strains were detected only after 6 months of age.


CONCLUSIONS
The enrichment step turned out to essentially improve the characterization and monitoring of the intestinal enterobacterial microbiota of infants. Compared to plate culture the amount of isolates was 2.6-fold by the PMEU enrichment. This study gives an idea on the development and succession of microbial communities in the gastrointestinal tract and on the variation of the strains due to the intestinal environmental factors.
Institute of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, P.O.B. 1627, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland. jouni.pesola@kuh.fi
Jouni
J
Pesola
Elias
E
Hakalehto
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004755:Enterobacteriaceae / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007422:Intestines / Q000382:microbiology*; D008297:Male; D018805:Sepsis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents
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