scholarly journals Co-colonization byStreptococcus pneumoniaeandStaphylococcus aureusin the throat during acute respiratory illnesses

2016 ◽  
Vol 144 (16) ◽  
pp. 3507-3519 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. DE LASTOURS ◽  
R. MALOSH ◽  
K. RAMADUGU ◽  
U. SRINIVASAN ◽  
S. DAWID ◽  
...  

SUMMARYPneumonia due to eitherStreptococcus pneumoniae(Sp) orStaphylococcus aureus(Sa) accounts for most mortality after influenza and acute respiratory illness (ARI). Because carriage precedes infection, we estimated Sp and Sa carriage to examine the co-colonization dynamics between Sp, Sa and respiratory viruses in the presence of ARI in the oropharynx. We tested oropharyngeal specimens of community subjects (aged ⩾2 years) with ARI for the presence of influenza A and B, 11 other common respiratory viruses, Sp and Sa, using real-time PCR. A total of 338 participants reported 519 ARI episodes of which 119 (35%) carried Sp, 52 (13%) carried Sa and 25 (7%) carried both. Thirty-five subjects tested positive for influenza, of which 14 (40%) carried Sp and six (17%) carried Sa, significantly more than in the influenza-negative group (P= 0·03 andP= 0·04, respectively). In subjects infected by any virus compared to those with no virus, Sp carriage (39·2%vs. 27·9%,P= 0·03) but not Sa carriage (11·6%vs. 14%,P= 0·6) was more frequent. For children, when Sa was present, Sp carriage tended to be less frequent than expected given the presence of viral infection, but not significantly [observed relative risk 1·14, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0·4–3·1; with a relative excess risk due to interaction of –0·11]. Independent of age, Sp carriers were more likely to return that season with subsequent ARI (odds ratio 2·14, 95% CI 1·1–4·3,P= 0·03). Both Sp and Sa carriage rates in the oropharynx increase during influenza infection in children. However, no negative interaction between Sp and Sa was observed. Sp carriers are more likely to suffer subsequent ARI episodes than non-carriers.

Author(s):  
Michael L Jackson ◽  
Lea Starita ◽  
Erika Kiniry ◽  
C Hallie Phillips ◽  
Stacie Wellwood ◽  
...  

Abstract Background While multiple respiratory viruses circulate in humans, few studies have compared the incidence of different viruses across the life course. We estimated the incidence of outpatient illness due to 12 different viruses during November 2018 through April 2019 in a fully enumerated population. Methods We conducted active surveillance for ambulatory care visits for acute respiratory illness (ARI) among members of Kaiser Permanente Washington (KPWA). Enrolled patients provided respiratory swab specimens which were tested for 12 respiratory viruses using RT-PCR. We estimated the cumulative incidence of infection due to each virus overall and by age group. Results The KPWA population under surveillance included 202,562 individuals, of whom 2,767 (1.4%) were enrolled in the study. Influenza A(H3N2) was the most commonly detected virus, with an overall incidence 21 medically attended illnesses per 1,000 population; the next most common viruses were influenza A(H1N1) (18 per 1,000), coronaviruses (13 per 1,000), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV, 13 per 1,000), and rhinovirus (9 per 1,000). RSV was the most common cause of medically attended ARI among children aged 1-4 years; coronaviruses were the most common among adults aged ≥65 years. Conclusions Consistent with other studies focused on single viruses, we found that influenza and RSV were major causes of acute respiratory illness in persons of all ages. In comparison, coronaviruses and rhinovirus were also important pathogens. Prior to the emergence of SARS-CoV-2, coronaviruses were the second-most common cause of medically attended ARI during the 2018/19 influenza season.


2003 ◽  
Vol 7 (9) ◽  
Author(s):  
J Crofts ◽  
W J Paget ◽  
F Karcher

Two cases of confirmed influenza due to the avian influenza A H5N1 virus were reported last week in Hong Kong (1). The cases occurred in a Hong Kong family who had recently visited Fujian province in southern China. The daughter, aged 8 years, died following a respiratory illness. The cause of her death is unknown. The father and son also had respiratory illnesses; the father died and the son recovered. Both were infected with the H5N1 virus. The mother also had a respiratory illness, which is reported to have been unrelated to influenza infection. Investigations are continuing to determine where and how transmission of infection to the cases may have occurred.


2019 ◽  
Vol 57 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane Kuypers

ABSTRACT To determine if rapid molecular testing for respiratory viruses in patients with respiratory illnesses can provide advantages to patients and hospitals, rigorous investigations on the impacts of using these assays are required. Well-conducted studies are needed to inform decisions about implementation of new rapid assays to replace standard molecular testing or to initiate testing in laboratories that are currently not doing molecular tests for respiratory viruses due to the complex nature of standard panels. In this issue of the Journal of Clinical Microbiology, N. Wabe et al. (J Clin Microbiol 57:e01727-18, 2019, https://doi.org/10.1128/JCM.01727-18) report the results of their evaluation of the impact of using a rapid molecular test for influenza A/influenza B and RSV on outcomes for adults hospitalized with respiratory illness. The median time from admission to test result of the rapid test was 7.5 h compared to 40.3 h for the standard PCR assay. Compared to the use of the standard molecular assay, use of a rapid test significantly shortened time in the hospital and reduced the number of other microbiology tests performed. The authors concluded that rapid PCR testing of adults hospitalized with respiratory illnesses could provide benefits to both the patients and the hospital. Patients were able to leave the hospital earlier and a greater proportion of them had received their test results before discharge, which would allow appropriate treatment to be provided more quickly.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaori Kobayashi ◽  
Chika Shono ◽  
Takuya Mori ◽  
Hidefumi Kitazawa ◽  
Noriyasu Ota ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTThe oral cavity is an entrance for respiratory viruses, such as influenza. Recently, saliva has been shown to exert both antimicrobial and antiviral activities. Thus, saliva may be a biological factor that contributes to the prevention of influenza infection. However, the actual salivary anti-influenza A virus (IAV) activity in individuals and its determinant factors are unknown. By assessing individual variations in salivary anti-IAV activity in 92 people using an established new high-throughput system in this study, we found that the anti-IAV activity varied widely between individuals and showed a significant positive correlation with protein-bound sialic acid (BSA) level (ρ=0.473; p < 0.001). Furthermore, the anti-IAV activity of saliva with enzymatically reduced BSA content was significantly lower. These results indicate that BSA is a direct regulator of salivary anti-IAV activity and is a determinant of individual differences. Additionally, after comparing the anti-IAV activity across the groups by age, anti-IAV activity in young people (aged 5–19 years) were lower than in adults aged 20–59 years and elderly people aged 60–79 years. Our study suggests that BSA levels in saliva may be important in preventing influenza infection.


2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (8) ◽  
pp. 889-896 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lili Jiang ◽  
Allison McGeer ◽  
Shelly McNeil ◽  
Kevin Katz ◽  
Mark Loeb ◽  
...  

AbstractBackground:Healthcare workers (HCWs) are at risk of acquiring and transmitting respiratory viruses while working in healthcare settings.Objectives:To investigate the incidence of and factors associated with HCWs working during an acute respiratory illness (ARI).Methods:HCWs from 9 Canadian hospitals were prospectively enrolled in active surveillance for ARI during the 2010–2011 to 2013–2014 influenza seasons. Daily illness diaries during ARI episodes collected information on symptoms and work attendance.Results:At least 1 ARI episode was reported by 50.4% of participants each study season. Overall, 94.6% of ill individuals reported working at least 1 day while symptomatic, resulting in an estimated 1.9 days of working while symptomatic and 0.5 days of absence during an ARI per participant season. In multivariable analysis, the adjusted relative risk of working while symptomatic was higher for physicians and lower for nurses relative to other HCWs. Participants were more likely to work if symptoms were less severe and on the illness onset date compared to subsequent days. The most cited reason for working while symptomatic was that symptoms were mild and the HCW felt well enough to work (67%). Participants were more likely to state that they could not afford to stay home if they did not have paid sick leave and were younger.Conclusions:HCWs worked during most episodes of ARI, most often because their symptoms were mild. Further data are needed to understand how best to balance the costs and risks of absenteeism versus those associated with working while ill.


2004 ◽  
Vol 25 (11) ◽  
pp. 962-966 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark J. Ferson ◽  
Keira Morgan ◽  
Peter W. Robertson ◽  
Alan W. Hampson ◽  
Ian Carter ◽  
...  

AbstractObjective:To report on the investigation of a summer outbreak of acute respiratory illness among residents of a Sydney nursing home.Design:An epidemiologic and microbiological investigation of the resident cohort at the time of the outbreak and medical record review 5 months later.Setting:A nursing home located in Sydney, Australia, during February to July 1999.Patients:The cohort of residents present in the nursing home at the time of the outbreak.Interventions:Public health interventions included recommendations regarding hygiene, cohorting of residents and staff, closure to further admissions, and prompt reporting of illness; and virologic and serologic studies of residents.Results:Of the 69 residents (mean age, 85.1 years), 35 fulfilled the case definition of acute respiratory illness. Influenza A infection was confirmed in 19 residents, and phylogenetic analysis of the resulting isolate, designated H3N2 A/Sydney/203/99, showed that it differed from strains isolated in eastern Australia during the same period. Serologic evidence ofBordetellainfection was also found in 10 residents; however, stratified epidemiologic analysis pointed to influenza A as the cause of illness.Conclusions:The investigation revealed an unusual summer outbreak of influenza A concurrent with subclinical pertussis infection. Surveillance of acute respiratory illness in nursing homes throughout the year, rather than solely during epidemic periods, in combination with appropriate public health laboratory support, would allow initiation of a timely public health response to outbreaks of acute respiratory illness in this setting.


2017 ◽  
Vol 87 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Ijaz ◽  
Muhammad Jaffar Khan ◽  
Jawad Khan ◽  
. Usama

<p>Clinical judgement and suspicion of influenza based on signs and symptoms of influenza-like illness and severe acute respiratory illness are critical for better patient outcome. Whether clinical characteristics of patients are associated with the development of acute respiratory distress syndrome and PCR positivity of samples was the aim of this study. We included all patients (n=37) presenting with influenza like illness (ILI) or severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) to a tertiary care hospital in northwest Pakistan during December 2015 until the end of January 2016. Each patient was assessed for signs and symptoms, clinical features, treatment, complications and outcome of ILI and SARI. Throat or nasopharyngeal swabs were obtained from 36 patient and analyzed for the presence of Influenza virus by quantitative PCR.<strong><em> </em></strong>Patients presenting with ILI or SARI were febrile (p&lt;0.001, one sample <em>t-</em>test), significantly tachypneic (p&lt;0.001) and had critically lower oxygen saturation (p&lt;0.001). Nasal congestion at presentation (p=0.006, chi-square test for association) and infiltrates on chest radiographs (p=0.025) were significantly associated with acute respiratory distress syndrome. Likelihood of the occurrence of ARDS was significantly increased with decrease in oxygen saturation (Odds ratio; 0.75, 95% CI; 0.46, 1.21, p=0.048) and marginally significantly increased in lower age (Odds ratio; 0.82, 95% CI; 0.58, 1.15, p=0.055) and higher white cell count (Odds ratio; 1.001, 95% CI; 0.99, 1.002, p=0.054). The presence of Influenza type A/H1N1pdm09 strains was confirmed in 7/11 patients. However no significant difference was observed in the clinical features and complications of PCR positive and negative patients. Clinical signs and symptoms of influenza-like illness or severe acute respiratory illness significantly predict the development of complications irrespective of the positivity or negativity of laboratory qPCR reports.</p>


Author(s):  
Patrick D. Shaw Stewart ◽  
Julia Bach

This review seeks to explain four features of viral respiratory illnesses that have perplexed generations of virologists: (1) the seasonal timing of respiratory illness; (2) the common viruses causing respiratory illness worldwide, including year-round disease in the Tropics; (3) the rapid response of outbreaks to weather, specifically temperature; (4) the rapid arrival and termination of epidemics caused by influenza and other viruses. The inadequacy of the popular explanations of seasonality is discussed, and a simple hypothesis is proposed, called Temperature Dependent Viral Tropism (TDVT), that is compatible with the above features of respiratory illness. TDVT notes that viruses can transmit themselves more effectively if they moderate their pathogenicity (thereby maintaining host mobility) and suggests that endemic respiratory viruses accomplish this by developing thermal sensitivity within a range that supports organ-specific viral tropism within the human body, whereby they replicate most rapidly at temperatures below body temperature. This allows them to confine themselves to the upper respiratory tract and to avoid infecting the lungs, heart, gut etc. Biochemical and tissue-culture studies show that &ldquo;wild&rdquo; respiratory viruses show such natural thermal sensitivity. The typical early autumn surge of colds and the existence of respiratory illness in the Tropics year-round at intermediate levels are explained by the tendency for strains to adapt their thermal sensitivity to their local climate and season. The TDVT hypothesis has important practical implications for preventing and treating respiratory illness including Covid-19. TVDT is testable with many options for experiments to increase our understanding of viral seasonality and pathogenicity.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. e001227
Author(s):  
John W Orchard ◽  
Jessica J Orchard ◽  
Rajesh Puranik

The coronavirus pandemic has given everyone in society an education on the harms of spread of respiratory illness. Young healthy athletes are far less likely to suffer severe adverse consequences of viral illnesses than the elderly and frail, but they are not completely immune. Chronic fatigue (overtraining) is an uncommon outcome and myocarditis a rare one, but they both warrant due consideration. It is, therefore, a sensible individual strategy to ‘stay home when sick’ if only for these risks. Traditionally though, athletes have tended to push through (train and play when ill) because of competing concerns, such as key events/matches and ‘not wanting to let teammates down’. Data from both low COVID-19 and high COVID-19 countries show that the number of cardiovascular deaths in a society correlates with the number of respiratory deaths at the same time, further linking respiratory viruses to cardiovascular deaths. We are now more aware of public health obligations to prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses, in particular to protect the more vulnerable members the community. This hopefully will correspond with a change in the culture of sport to one where it is considered ‘the right thing to do’, to ‘stay home when sick’.


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