PREVALENCE OF CHLAMYDIA-PNEUMONIAE IN HEALTHY-CHILDREN AND IN CHILDREN WITH RESPIRATORY-TRACT INFECTIONS

Background. Chlamydia pneumoniae causes respiratory tract infections i n adults, but little is known about its significance for acute or pers istent respiratory tract infections in children. Methods. We studied t he prevalence of C. pneumoniae by polymerase chain reaction in childre n younger than the age of 11: 85 consecutive children with respiratory tract infections; and 93 children presumed to be healthy. Throat swab s for PCR analysis were taken from all children, and serology was done for 54 of the 85 sick children and from all but one of the presumed h ealthy children positive for C. pneumoniae by PCR. Results. PCR was po sitive in 38 (45%) of the sick children and in 5 (5.7%) of the healthy children. All but 2 of 19 sick children with serologic findings sugge sting recent or ongoing infection with C. pneumoniae were positive by PCR. Most children positive for C. pneumoniae by PCR had upper respira tory tract infections. Four children had recurrent respiratory tract i nfections and otitis media with effusion treated by tubal insertion. C onclusion. The findings suggest that C. pneumoniae is common among chi ldren with respiratory tract infections.