ANTIGENURIA IN HEALTHY PAPUA-NEW-GUINEAN CHILDREN WITH NASAL HAEMOPHILUS-INFLUENZAE TYPE-B CARRIAGE

In 100 healthy children under the age of 3 years living in the vicinit y of Goroka, Papua New Guinea, the nares were cultured for Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), and a urine sample was obtained for measurem ent of Hib polysaccharide (PS) by ELISA. Hib carriage was detected in nine children and Hib PS was detected in the urine of 11. Hib PS was f ound in seven of nine Hib nasal carriers compared with four of 91 heal thy children without Hib in their nares (p < 0.001). The range of urin e antigen concentrations in the two groups was similar (0.6 to 2.7 ng/ ml). The relative risk of antigenuria in the carriers, compared with t he children with negative nares cultures, was 58 (95% confidence inter val, 10.5-324). These data extend previous observations from Hib carri ers studied in the United States and show that Hib carriage in childre n from a developing country is associated with antigenuria. Further st udies are needed to determine whether carriers and patients can be dif ferentiated by differences in the magnitude of the concentration of Hi b PS excreted in urine.