title: A rhesus macaque model of Streptococcus pneumoniae carriage.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Nasopharyngeal colonization by Streptococcus pneumoniae precedes pneumococcal disease. Elucidation of procedures to prevent or eradicate nasopharyngeal carriage in a model akin to the human would help to diminish the incidence of both pneumonia and invasive pneumococcal disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a survey of the nasopharynx of infant rhesus macaques from our breeding colony, in search of natural carriers of S. pneumoniae. We also attempted experimental induction of colonization, by nasopharyngeal instillation of a human S. pneumoniae strain (19F).
  
  
  RESULTS
  None of 158 colony animals surveyed carried S. pneumoniae in the nasopharynx. Colonization was induced in eight of eight infant rhesus by nasopharyngeal instillation and lasted 2weeks in 100% of the animals and 7weeks in more than 60%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Rhesus macaques are probably not natural carriers of S. pneumoniae. The high rate and duration of colonization obtained in our experiments indicates that the rhesus macaque will serve as a human-like carriage model.
authors.affiliation: Tulane National Primate Research Center, Tulane University, Covington, LA 70433, USA. Philipp@tulane.edu
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Philipp
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Doyle
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: G B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Plauché
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Phillippi-Falkenstein
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Bohm
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000166:cytology / Q000382:microbiology; D002353:Carrier State / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D008253:Macaca mulatta / Q000382:microbiology*; D008297:Male; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D009305:Nasopharynx / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000382:microbiology; D011008:Pneumococcal Infections / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D011859:Radiography; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000254:growth & development*