Bacterial colonization of pacifiers of infants with acute otitis media

• Published in: Journal of laryngology and otology Vol. 111; no. 7; p. 614
• Main Authors: Brook, I, Gober, A E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 01-07-1997
• Subjects: Acute Disease; Bacteria, Aerobic - isolation & purification; Candida albicans - isolation & purification; Colony Count, Microbial; Disease Reservoirs; Humans; Infant; Infant Care; Neisseria - isolation & purification; Otitis Media, Suppurative - microbiology; Staphylococcus aureus - isolation & purification; Staphylococcus epidermidis - isolation & purification; Streptococcus - isolation & purification
• ISSN: 0022-2151
• DOI: 10.1017/S0022215100138113

The presence of aerobic and facultative anaerobic bacteria on the surface of pacifiers used by children with acute otitis media was investigated. The surface of 40 recently used pacifiers was swabbed after they were allowed to dry for five to six minutes. The swabs were processed quantitatively for the presence of aerobic bacteria. The antibacterial activity of the pacifier material was tested in vitro. Microorganisms were isolated from 21 (52.5 per cent) pacifiers. The number of colonies per pacifier varied between one and 35 (average six). The isolates included eight alpha-haemolytic streptococci, six Staphylococcus epidermis, five Candida albicans, five alpha-haemolytic streptococci, three Neisseria spp. and two Staphylococcus aureus. The pacifier material was shown to be inhibitory against S. aureus. This study illustrated that pacifiers do not contain high numbers of organisms and therefore are not likely to serve as a source of persistence of transfer of organisms.