title: Non-capsulated and capsulated Haemophilus influenzae in children with acute otitis media in Venezuela: a prospective epidemiological study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) and Streptococcus pneumoniae are major causes of bacterial acute otitis media (AOM). Data regarding AOM are limited in Latin America. This is the first active surveillance in a private setting in Venezuela to characterize the bacterial etiology of AOM in children < 5 years of age.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between December 2008 and December 2009, 91 AOM episodes (including sporadic, recurrent and treatment failures) were studied in 87 children enrolled into a medical center in Caracas, Venezuela. Middle ear fluid samples were collected either by tympanocentesis or spontaneous otorrhea swab sampling method. Standard laboratory and microbiological techniques were used to identify bacteria and test for antimicrobial resistance. The results were interpreted according to Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) 2009 for non-meningitis isolates. All statistical analyses were performed using SAS 9.1 and Microsoft Excel (for graphical purposes).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, bacteria were cultured from 69.2% (63 of the 91 episodes); at least one pathogen (S. pneumoniae, H. influenzae, S. pyogenes or M. catarrhalis) was cultured from 65.9% (60/91) of episodes. H. influenzae (55.5%; 35/63 episodes) and S. pneumoniae (34.9%; 22/63 episodes) were the most frequently reported bacteria. Among H. influenzae isolates, 62.9% (22/35 episodes) were non-capsulated (NTHi) and 31.4% (11/35 episodes) were capsulated including types d, a, c and f, across all age groups. Low antibiotic resistance for H. influenzae was observed to amoxicillin/ampicillin (5.7%; 2/35 samples). NTHi was isolated in four of the six H. influenzae positive samples (66.7%) from recurrent episodes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found H. influenzae and S. pneumoniae to be the main pathogens causing AOM in Venezuela. Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines with efficacy against these bacterial pathogens may have the potential to maximize protection against AOM.
authors.affiliation: Policlínica Metropolitana, Piso 1, consultorio 1-13, Urbanización Caurimare, Calle A-1, Caracas, Venezuela. naranjo.laura1@gmail.com
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Naranjo
authors.forename: Jose Antonio
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Suarez
authors.forename: Rodrigo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: DeAntonio
authors.forename: Francis
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sanchez
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Calvo
authors.forename: Enza
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Spadola
authors.forename: Nicolás
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.forename: Omaira
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Andrade
authors.forename: Francisca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bertuglia
authors.forename: Nelly
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Márquez
authors.forename: Maria Mercedes
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Castrejon
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ortega-Barria
authors.forename: Romulo E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Colindres
mesh_terms: D016667:Bacterial Capsules / Q000032:analysis*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005122:Exudates and Transudates / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006192:Haemophilus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D006193:Haemophilus influenzae / Q000145:classification* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D001936:Moraxella catarrhalis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D045828:Moraxellaceae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D010033:Otitis Media / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D011008:Pneumococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014687:Venezuela / Q000453:epidemiology