[Rate of identification and characteristic of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolated from carriers and ill children in Khabarovsk region].

AIM: To assess the role of nasopharyngeal and clinical strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae in respiratory disease of children.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

Two hundred and fifty-eight children attending and not-attending daycare as well as 1292 children with respiratory diseases admitted to clinic of Research Institute of Maternity and Childcare during 2001-2009 were studied. Materials for study were pharyngeal swabs and sputum. Identification was performed using optochin disks (bioMerieux), latex-agglutination (Slidex meningo-kit, bioMerieux) and agglutination on the glass. Fragment of S. pneumoniae genome was determined by PCR using diagnostic kits GenePac Spn (IsoGen Ltd., Moscow).

RESULTS

Level of nasopharyngeal carriage of pneumococci is increased in children with recurrent respiratory illnesses as well as in children closed communities of children. Strains isolated from nasopharynx were typical on morphological and tinctorial characteristics and have increased level of resistance to macrolides and decreased level of resistance to penicillin compared to clinical strains of which 15-20% were optochin-resistant.

CONCLUSION

Local serological spectrum of pneumococci circulating in Khabarovsk region was determined, which includes 13 serovariants with predominance of serotypes K1, K19, K6.