title: Pneumococcal Colonization in the Familial Context and Implications for Anti-Pneumococcal Immunization in Adults: Results from the BINOCOLO Project in Sicily.
abstract: The spread ofStreptococcus pneumoniaewithin families has been scarcely investigated so far. This feasibility study aimed to estimate the prevalence of pneumococcal carriage in school-aged children and co-habiting relatives and to explore the potential link between the family environment and the sharing of pneumococcal serotypes covered by the vaccine. Oropharyngeal samples of 146 subjects belonging to 36 different family groups were molecularly tested for pneumococcal detection and serotyping. The overall prevalence of pneumococcal carriage was 65.8% (n= 96/146), whereas it was higher among schoolchildren (77.8%,n= 28/36); subjects of seven years of age had the highest odds of being colonized (odds ratio, OR = 5.176;p= 0.145). Pneumococcal serotypes included in the 13-valent conjugate vaccine formulation were largely detected in the study population and multiple serotypes colonization was considerable. Factors relating to a close proximity among people at the family level were statistically associated with pneumococcal carriage (OR = 2.121;p= 0.049), as well as active smoking habit with a clear dose-response effect (ORs = 1.017-3.326). About half of family clusters evidenced similar patterns of carried pneumococcal serotypes and the odds of sustaining a high level of intrafamilial sharing increased with household size (ORs = 1.083-5.000). This study highlighted the potential role played by the family environment in sustaining both the circulation and horizontal transmission of pneumococcus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Promotion Sciences and Mother-Child Care "G. D'Alessandro"-Hygiene Section, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy. fabio.tramuto@unipa.it.|Clinical Epidemiology Unit, University Hospital "Paolo Giaccone", 90127 Palermo, Italy. fabio.tramuto@unipa.it.
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tramuto
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Promotion Sciences and Mother-Child Care "G. D'Alessandro"-Hygiene Section, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy. amoema79@libero.it.
authors.forename: Emanuele
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Amodio
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Promotion Sciences and Mother-Child Care "G. D'Alessandro"-Hygiene Section, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy. giuseppe.calamusa@unipa.it.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Calamusa
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Promotion Sciences and Mother-Child Care "G. D'Alessandro"-Hygiene Section, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy. vincenzo.restivo@unipa.it.
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Restivo
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Promotion Sciences and Mother-Child Care "G. D'Alessandro"-Hygiene Section, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy. claudio.costantino01@unipa.it.
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Costantino
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Promotion Sciences and Mother-Child Care "G. D'Alessandro"-Hygiene Section, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy. francesco.vitale@unipa.it.|Clinical Epidemiology Unit, University Hospital "Paolo Giaccone", 90127 Palermo, Italy. francesco.vitale@unipa.it.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vitale
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005190:Family; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007114:Immunization; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011008:Pneumococcal Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission; D022242:Pneumococcal Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012703:Serotyping; D012802:Sicily / Q000453:epidemiology; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D018074:Vaccines, Conjugate / Q000627:therapeutic use; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D022242:Pneumococcal Vaccines; D018074:Vaccines, Conjugate
keywords: Streptococcus pneumoniae; carriage; colonization; conjugate vaccine; family; horizontal transmission; real-time PCR; schoolchildren; serotypes