Isolation of fusobacteria from the oral cavities of malnourished Nigerian children living in agricultural and herding villages

A previous study demonstrated the presence and possible involvement of Fuso bacterium necrophorum in the pathogenesis of noma lesions of children livin g in agricultural and herding villages in northwestern Nigeria. In order to determine if F. necrophorum was part of the oral flora of malnourished chi ldren with no noma lesions, a study of the fusobacteria present in the oral cavities of 30 children, 2-6 years of age in Sokoto State, was undertaken. Swabs taken of the oral cavity were cultured on selective fusobacteria med ium using conventional anaerobic microbiological techniques. F. nucleatum w as recovered from each child and F. necrophorum was isolated from the oral cavity of only one child. The presence of F. nucleatum and the lack of F. n ecrophorum, except in one case, suggests that the latter is not normal flor a in the children at risk for noma, F. necrophorum, a putative trigger orga nism for noma may gain a foothold only when certain staging conditions (ie, lowered host resistance and/or oral lesion) are present.