title: Epidemiology of respiratory infections caused by atypical bacteria in two Kenyan refugee camps.
abstract: Chlamydia pneumoniae, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, and Legionella spp. are common causes of atypical pneumonia; however, data about these atypical pathogens are limited in the refugee setting. Paired nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal specimens were collected from patients with respiratory illness presenting to healthcare centers in two refugee camps in Kenya. The specimens were tested for C. pneumoniae, M. pneumoniae, and Legionella spp. as well as eight respiratory viruses. Atypical pathogens were detected in 5.5% of the specimens of which 54% were co-infected with at least one of the eight viruses tested. Patients positive for atypical bacteria co-infected with virus were significantly more likely to have severe acute respiratory illness than patients infected with only atypical bacteria (P = 0.04). While the percentage of atypical pathogens identified was lower than expected, we found a significant relationship between atypical bacterial-viral co-infection and severity of disease in this refugee population.
authors.affiliation: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Curi
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Raymond
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nyoka
authors.forename: Jamal A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: Jonas M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Winchell
authors.forename: Stephanie L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kariuki Njenga
authors.forename: Erick
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Auko
authors.forename: Wagacha
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Burton
authors.forename: Robert F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Breiman
authors.forename: Rachel B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Eidex
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001295:Atypical Bacterial Forms / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007630:Kenya / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012036:Refugees; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000821:virology; D055815:Young Adult