DURATION OF NASOPHARYNGEAL CARRIAGE OF PENICILLIN-RESISTANT STREPTOCOCCUS-PNEUMONIAE - EXPERIENCES FROM THE SOUTH SWEDISH PNEUMOCOCCAL INTERVENTION PROJECT

As a part of an intervention project, all detected carriers of penicil lin-resistant pneumococci (PRP) (MIC, greater than or equal to 0.5 mg/ L) in Malmohus County, southern Sweden, were followed by means of week ly nasopharyngeal cultures. The median duration of carriage in 678 ind ividuals was 19 days (range, 3-267 days). The duration of carriage was longest in children <1 year old (median, 30 days) and shortest in adu lts >18 years old (median, 14 days). Index cases, whose cultures were performed during an acute infection, were carriers for a mean of 10 da ys longer than asymptomatic contact cases (P < .05), The PRP spontaneo usly disappeared from the nasopharynx within 4 weeks in 68%, within 8 weeks in 87%, and within 12 weeks in 94% of the individuals. Other sig nificant risk factors for prolonged carriage were the occurrence of >6 episodes of acute otitis media (AOM) or first episode of AOM before t he age of 1 year (P < .01), the carriage of PRP by other family member s (P < .05), and the obtainment of a first positive culture during the winter months (P < .05).