ORAL AND OROPHARYNGEAL PREVALENCE OF ENTEROBACTERIACEAE IN HUMANS - AREVIEW

Members of the Enterobacteriaceae family are widely distributed in nat ure and exhibit substantial diversity in ecology, host range and patho genic potential for man. While wide discrepancies in methodology exist between epidemiological studies, the available data indicate an incre ased prevalence of oral and/or oropharyngeal Enterobacteriaceae carria ge in patients with illnesses of varying severity compared with health y subjects. This paper reviews the prevalence of Enterobacteriaceae in the oral and oropharyngeal region of healthy human subjects and those affected by different disease entities, and discusses the complexitie s associated with collating and interpreting such data. The effect of antimicrobials and antiseptics on oral and oropharyngeal Enterobacteri aceae has also been reviewed, while highlighting the gaps in knowledge and future research directions.