Epidemiology and Infection

Table of Contents - March 2012 - Volume 140, Issue 03  

Disease transmission

Transmission of Streptococcus pneumoniae in adults may occur through saliva

H. LEVINEa1a2a3 c1, S. ZARKAa1a4, R. DAGANa2a5, T. SELAa1, V. ROZHAVSKIa1, D. I. COHENa3 and R. D. BALICERa1a2

a1 Army Health Branch, Medical Corps, Israeli Defense Force, Israel

a2 Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel

a3 School of Public Health, Tel Aviv University, Israel

a4 Haifa University School of Public Health, Israel

a5 Pediatric Infectious Disease Unit, Soroka University Medical Center, Israel

SUMMARY

Of 742 army recruits tested for pneumococcal nasopharyngeal/oropharyngeal carriage, 6·6% were positive. Frequent sharing of a drinking glass/bottle was a common, strong and independent risk factor for pneumococcal carriage. Our findings strongly suggest, for the first time, that in young adults, transmission of pneumococci may occur via saliva and this should be considered when conducting an outbreak investigation and carriage studies.

(Accepted April 27 2011)

(Online publication May 19 2011)

Key Words:

Correspondence:

c1 Author for correspondence: Dr H. Levine, Head, Epidemiology Section, Army Health Branch, Medical Corps, Military PO Box 02149, IDF, Israel. (Email: tohagai@bezeqint.net)

Footnotes

Part of this study was presented at the 7th International Symposium on Pneumococci & Pneumococcal Related Diseases, Tel Aviv, March 2010.

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