Nasopharyngeal bacterial carriage in young children in Greenland: a population at high risk of respiratory infections

• Published in: Epidemiology and infection Vol. 144; no. 15; pp. 3226 - 3236
• Main Authors: NAVNE, J. E., BØRRESEN, M. L., SLOTVED, H. C., ANDERSSON, M., MELBYE, M., LADEFOGED, K., KOCH, A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 01-11-2016
• Subjects: Antibiotics; Bacteria; Bacterial infections; Breastfeeding & lactation; Carrier State - epidemiology; Carrier State - microbiology; Child; Child, Preschool; Children; Colonization; Cross-Sectional Studies; Crowding; Daycare; Drug Resistance, Bacterial; Ear diseases; Epidemiology; Female; Greenland - epidemiology; Haemophilus Infections - epidemiology; Haemophilus Infections - microbiology; Haemophilus influenzae - drug effects; Haemophilus influenzae - physiology; Health risk assessment; Health risks; Humans; Incidence; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Infectious diseases; Inuit; Male; Moraxella (Branhamella) catarrhalis - drug effects; Moraxella (Branhamella) catarrhalis - physiology; Moraxellaceae Infections - epidemiology; Moraxellaceae Infections - microbiology; Nasopharynx - microbiology; Original Papers; Other Bacterial Infections; Pediatrics; Pneumococcal Infections - epidemiology; Pneumococcal Infections - microbiology; Pneumococcal Vaccines - therapeutic use; Population; Population studies; Population Surveillance; Prevalence; Respiratory tract infection; Respiratory Tract Infections - epidemiology; Respiratory Tract Infections - microbiology; Risk analysis; Risk Factors; Serotypes; Siblings; Staphylococcal Infections - epidemiology; Staphylococcal Infections - microbiology; Staphylococcus aureus; Staphylococcus aureus - drug effects; Staphylococcus aureus - physiology; Staphylococcus infections; Streptococcus infections; Streptococcus pneumoniae; Streptococcus pneumoniae - drug effects; Streptococcus pneumoniae - physiology; Studies; Vaccines; Arctic region; Greenland; risk factors; Inuit; pneumococci; PCV-13; Children; Greenland; nasopharyngeal carriage
• ISSN: 0950-2688; 1469-4409
• DOI: 10.1017/S0950268816001461

The incidence of childhood respiratory infections in Greenland is among the highest globally. We performed a population-based study of 352 Greenlandic children aged 0–6 years aiming to describe rates and risk factors for carriage of four key bacteria associated with respiratory infections, their antimicrobial susceptibility and inter-bacterial associations. Nasopharyngeal swabs were tested for Streptococcus pneumoniae grouped by serotypes included (VT) or not included (NVT) in the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, non-typable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi), Staphylococcus aureus and Moraxella catarrhalis. S. pneumoniae was detected from age 2 weeks with a peak carriage rate of 60% in 2-year-olds. Young age and having siblings attending a daycare institution were associated with pneumococcal carriage. Overall co-colonization with ⩾2 of the studied bacteria was 52%. NTHi showed a positive association with NVT pneumococci and M. catarrhalis, respectively, M. catarrhalis was positively associated with S. pneumoniae, particular VT pneumococci, whereas S. aureus were negatively associated with NTHi and M. catarrhalis. Nasopharyngeal bacterial carriage was present unusually early in life and with frequent co-colonization. Domestic crowding increased odds of carriage. Due to important bacterial associations we suggest future surveillance of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine's impact on carriage in Greenland to also include other pathogens.