Marked differences in pneumococcal carriage and resistance patterns between day care centers located within a small area

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.