Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

ABSTRACTNasal carriage ofStaphylococcus aureusis a major risk factor for invasiveS. aureusdisease. The aim of this study was to define factors associated with carriage. We conducted a prospective, longitudinal community-based study of infants and their mothers for a period of 6 months following delivery. The epidemiology of carriage was examined for 100 infant-mother pairs. Infant carriage varied significantly with age, falling from 40 to 50% during the first 8 weeks to 21% by 6 months. Determinants of infantS. aureuscarriage included maternal carriage, breastfeeding, and number of siblings. Bacterial typing ofS. aureuswas performed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and multilocus sequence typing. The majority of individuals carried a single strain ofS. aureusover time, and the mother was the usual source for colonizing isolates in infants. The effect of other components of the normal nasal flora on the development ofS. aureuscarriage was examined in 157 consecutive infants. Negative associations (putative bacterial interference) betweenS. aureusand other species occurred early in infancy but were not sustained. An increasing antistaphylococcal effect observed over time was not attributable to bacterial interference.S. aureuscarriage in infants is likely to be determined by a combination of host, environmental, and bacterial factors, but bacterial interference does not appear to be an ultimate determinant of carrier status.

Original publication

DOI

10.1128/jcm.41.12.5718-5725.2003

Type

Journal article

Journal

Journal of Clinical Microbiology

Publisher

American Society for Microbiology

Publication Date

12/2003

Volume

41

Pages

5718 - 5725