Hostname: page-component-7c8c6479df-24hb2 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-03-28T14:55:41.302Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Naso-pharyngeal carriage of Haemophilus influenzae type B

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 May 2009

D.C. Turk
Affiliation:
Department of Bacteriology, Medical School, King's College, Newcastle-ypon-Tyne
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

H.influenzae type b, the sero-type which causes meningitis, was isolated from 3 (2·4 %) of 127 naso-pharyngeal swabs from white non-Jamaican children resident in Jamaica, and from 14 (2·9 %) of 473 such swabs from a mixed group of Jamaican children. Much higher frequencies were found in households in which cases of haemophilus meningitis had recently occurred (41 %), in the nursery of an orphan home (up to 70%) and in a day-nursery. In the orphan home nursery the high frequency persisted over a number of months, but no case of meningitis or other relevant disease occurred. A high concentration of this organism is therefore compatible with normal health, and the significance of high concentrations in the homes of meningitis patients is not certain.

I am indebted to the Standing Advisory Committee for Medical Research in the British Caribbean for a grant towards the cost of materials; to a number of colleagues at the University College of the West Indies, notably Dr E. H. Back, Senior Lecturer in Paediatrics, and the staff of the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine; to those in charge of the orphan home, the day-nursery, the play-school and the other institutions visited; to many cooperative parents and children and to my wife for help in the collection of specimens.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1963

References

Alexander, H.E. (1958). In Bacterial and Mycotic Infections of Man, ed. Dubos, R.J.,3rd edn., chap.22. London: Pitman Publishing Co.Google Scholar
Alexander, H.E., Ellis, C. & Leidy, G. (1942). Treatment of type-specific Haemophilus influenzae infections in infancy and childhood. J.Pediat. 20, 673.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Allibone, E. C., Allison, P. R. & Zinnemann, K. (1956). Significance of H.influenzae in bronchiectasis of children. Brit.med.J., i, 1457.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Blackburn, R.H., Boston, R.B., Gilmore, E.St G., Lovell, R., Wilson, S.P. & Smith, M.M. (1930). A study of the nasopharyngal bacterial flora of the Manchester population, during the period July,1925 to September, 1927. Rep.publ.Hlth med.Subj.Lond., No.58.Google Scholar
Dawson, B. & Zinnemann, K. (1952). Incidence and type-distribution of capsulated H. influenzae strains. Brit.med.J., i, 740.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Donald, W.D. & Coker, J.W. (1957). The role of Hemophilus influenzae in respiratory infections of premature infants. Amer.J.Dis.Child. 94, 272.Google ScholarPubMed
Glover, J.A. (1920). Observations of the meningococcal carrier rate and their application to the prevention of cerebrospinal fever. Spec.Rep.Ser.med.Res.Coun.,Lond., no. 50, p.133.Google Scholar
Good, P.G., Fousek, M.D., Grossmann, M.F. & Boisvert, P.L. (1943). Study of the familial spread of Hemophilus influenzae type b. Yale J.Biol.Med., 15, 913.Google ScholarPubMed
Karelitz, S., Desposito, F.T., Spinner, M.L. & Isenberg, H.D. (1960). Bacterial infection of the central nervous system. Pediat.Clin.N.Amer., 7, 605.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kline, A.H. (1962). Haemophilus influenzae meningitis. Is prophylaxis indicated?. Amer.J.Dis.Child. 104, 595.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Masters, P.L., Brumfitt, W., Mendez, R.L. & Likar, M. (1958). Bacterial flora of the upper respiratory tract in Paddington families, 1952–4. Brit.med.J., i, 1200.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
May, J.R. (1953). The bacteriology of chronic bronchitis. Lancet, ii, 534.Google Scholar
May, J.R. (1954). Pathogenic bacteria in chronic bronchitis. Lancet, ii, 839.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
May, J.R. (1958). InRecent Trends in Chronic Bronchitis. ed. Oswald, N.C., pp. 178–9. London: Lloyd-Luke Ltd.Google Scholar
Mulder, J. (1940). Haemophilus influenzae and influenza virus in relation to bronchitis. J.Path.Bact. 50, 317.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Neal, J.B., Jackson, H.W. & Appelbaum, E. (1934). Meningitis due to the influenza bacillus of Pfeiffer(Hemophilus influenzae). J.Amer.med., Ass 102, 513.Google Scholar
Ounsted, C. (1950). Haemophilus influenzae meningitis;possible ecological factor. Lancet, i, 161.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ounsted, C. (1951). Ecology of Haemophilus influenzae meningitis. Lancet, i, 800.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ouyang, H.M. & Ting, T.T. (1957). Hemophilus influenzae meningitis. Chin.med.J., 75, 908.Google ScholarPubMed
Pittman, M. (1931). Variation and type-specificity in the bacterial species Hemophilus influenzae. J.exp.Med., 53, 471.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rogers, K.B., Zinnemann, K. & Foster, W.P. (1960). The isolation and identification of Haemophilus spp.from unusual lesions in children. J.clin.Path., 13, 519.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Smith, E.S. (1954). Purulent meningitis in infants and children. J.Pediat., 45, 425.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Straker, E.A., Hill, A.B. & Lovell, R. (1939). A study of the nasopharyngeal bacterial flora of different groups of persons observed in London and South-East England during the years 1930 to 1937. Rep.publ.Hlth med. Subj., Lond., no. 90.Google Scholar
Thilenius, O.G. & Carter, R.E. (1959). Cellulitis of the leg due to type b Hemophilus influenzae. J. Pediat..54, 372CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Turk, D.C. (1962). Haemophilus influenzae in Jamaica D.M.Dissertation, University of Oxford.Google Scholar
Turk, D.C. & Wynter, H.H. (1961). Meningitis in jamaica. W.Indian med.J..10, 118.Google ScholarPubMed