Throat Carriage of Streptococcus pneumoniae and Streptococcus pyogenes Among Infants and Children in Zambia

Abstract

Throat carrier rates of Streptococcus pneumoniae and Streptococcus pyogenes were investigated among 246 healthy infants and children below 10 years of age living in the southern part of Zambia.

The swabs were cultured at the WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Pneumococci, Statens Seruminstitut, Copenhagen, and the isolated strains of S. pneumoniae and S. pyogenes were typed and tested for their sensitivity to penicillin.

Streptococcus pneumoniae was isolated from 39 (16 per cent) and S. pyogenes from 46 (19 per cent) of the 246 children. Pneumococci were predominantly found in the younger children (0–5 years), whereas the carrier rates of S. pyogenes increased with increasing age. We did not find differences between ruraland urban areas, which could be attributed to geographical variations.

We found type 19F to be the most common type among the isolated strains of S. pneumoniae (6/39).One pncumococcus (type 6A) was found to be of intermediary resistance to penicillin; all other strains were susceptible.