Burden of bacterial upper respiratory tract pathogens in school children of Nepal.

INTRODUCTION

Respiratory tract infections are one of the most common human infections in all age group and important cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. Most bacterial upper respiratory tract infections are vaccine preventable. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of carrier state of bacterial upper respiratory tract pathogens among school children. It also aimed to study their antibiograms.

METHODS

The specimen from posterior pharyngeal wall and tonsils were collected from 204 participants on calcium alginate coated swabs (HiMedia). Isolates were identified by standard microbiological methods and tested for in vitro antibiotic susceptibility testing by modified Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method.

RESULTS

In this study, (16.6%) was the most common bacterial pathogen recovered, followed by (14.7%), β-haemolytic streptococci (non-Group A) (8.8%), (5.3%) and (3.4%). The Gram negative bacteria were (4.9%), (3.4%) and (1.4%). Important findings in antibiogram include high resistance of to penicillin (91.17%) and resistance of to oxacillin (23.3%).

CONCLUSION

Pharyngeal colonisation by was found high among school children and this calls for an urgent need to include pneumococcal vaccine in routine national immunisation schedule of Nepal given the high burden of invasive pneumococcal disease. Despite expected universal vaccination, pharyngeal colonisation by is possible and there is possibility of transmission of these respiratory pathogens to other healthy children.