N. Givon-lavi et al., Marked differences in pneumococcal carriage and resistance patterns between day care centers located within a small area, CLIN INF D, 29(5), 1999, pp. 1274-1280
Carriage rates of Streptococcus pneumoniae and their antibiotic resistance,
capsular types, and genetic patterns were studied among 264 children aged
12-35 months attending 8 day care centers located within a 2.5-mile radius
in the same city. Nasopharyngeal cultures were obtained within a 2-month in
terval from all 264 children. Significant differences in each of the studie
d characteristics were found between day care centers, and each day care ce
nter had a unique pattern of the carried pneumococci, Our findings show tha
t day care centers are independent microenvironments and emphasize their ro
le in the transmission and augmentation of antibiotic-resistant S. pneumoni
ae in the community.