Study on the status of oral pharyngeal carriage of Haemophilus influenzae in healthy preschool children in Fuzhou city / 中华流行病学杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the status of oral pharyngeal carriage and characteristics of Haemophilus influenzae (Hi) in healthy preschool children in Fuzhou.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Six hundred and three healthy children in two representative kindergartens in Fuzhou were studied as research subjects, and the rates of oral pharyngeal carriage of Hi were studied in four seasons. All Hi strains were serotyped and biotyped.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The oral pharyngeal carriage of Hi in day care nursery healthy children were 36.7% in winter, 18.0% in autumn, 12.4% in summer and 10.9% in spring respectively. Serotype Hib was preponderant in autumn (6.9%). In winter, the carriage rates of NTHi and Hib were 17.1%, 5.4% respectively. The carriage rates of other serotypes were low. Biotype VII and VIII were preponderant in autumn, spring and summer but biotype VII and VIII were decreasing evidently in winter.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>There was evident seasonal difference in the rates of oral pharyngeal carriage and type of Hi in healthy preschool children. The carriage rate of Hi strains was high in autumn and winter. Results suggested that while the inoculation of Hib-binding bacterial vaccine was expanded the study on new bacterial vaccine of Hi still needs to be augmented.</p>