Hostname: page-component-84b7d79bbc-4hvwz Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-28T07:16:39.757Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The carriage of Staphylococcus pyogenes var. aureus in the human nose

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 May 2009

J. C. Gould  and
Elizabeth J. McKillop
J. C. Gould
Affiliation:
Department of Bacteriology, Edinburgh University
Elizabeth J. McKillop
Affiliation:
Department of Bacteriology, Edinburgh University
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Over 500 medical students have been examined for nasal carriage of Staph. pyogenes at weekly intervals over a period ranging from 3 to 12 months.

Nasal carriers were classified as persistent, intermittent and occasional. Of the students, 39% were persistent or intermittent carriers in whom the staphylococcus was believed to colonize the skin of the vestibule of the nose; 42% were occasional carriers in whom the staphylococcus was only a chance inhabitant of the nares.

Staph. pyogenes was isolated from the anterior nares of persistent carriers on at least 90% of the occasions on which they were examined, and was of the same phage type on each occasion. From intermittent carriers it was isolated less regularly, but on at least 10% of occasions on which they were examined, and it remained of one phage type. Staph. pyogenes was isolated at less than 10% of swabbings from occasional carriers, and at each the organism was of a different phage type.

Eighty-nine per cent of persistent and intermittent carrier strains, and 54% of occasional carrier strains could be typed with phage filtrates. The strains not typable with phage filtrates, and found predominantly among occasional carriers, were considered worthy of separate classification, and it is suggested that typability with phage be used as a criterion of pathogenicity for Staph. pyogenes.

We wish to thank Prof. T. J. Mackie for his continued interest and advice; Dr J. P. Duguid for criticism and advice; Dr R. E. O. Williams and Miss Joan Rippon of the Staphylococcal Reference Laboratory, Colindale, who very kindly instructed one of us (J.C.G.) in bacteriophage typing; Dr Donald Cruickshank for taking nasal swabs from patients; Dr Cumming of the Blood Transfusion Department, Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh, for permission to swab blood donors, and the medical students who so willingly co-operated in this work.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Hygiene , Volume 52 , Issue 3 , September 1954 , pp. 304 - 310
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1954

References

REFERENCES

Allison, V. D. & Hobbs, B. C. (1947). An enquiry into the epidemiology of pemphigus neonatorum. Brit. med. J. 2, 1.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Barber, M. & Rozwadowska-Dowzenko, (1948). Infection by penicillin-resistant staphylococci. Lancet, 2, 641.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Christie, R. & Keogh, E. V. (1940). Physiological and serological characteristics of staphylococci of human origin. J. Path. Bact. 51, 189.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cunliffe, A. C. (1949). Incidence of Staphylococcus aureus in the anterior nares of healthy children. Lancet, 2, 411.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Devenish, E. A. & Miles, A. A. (1939). Control of Staphylococcus aureus in an operating theatre. Lancet, 1, 1088.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Duncan, J. T. & Walker, J. (1942). Staphylococcus aureus in the milk of nursing mothers and the alimentary canal of their infants. A report to the Medical Research Council. J. Hyg., Camb., 42, 474.Google Scholar
Elwood, J. S. (1951). The penicillin sensitivity and phage type of staphylococci isolated from hospital patients. J. Hyg., Camb., 49, 263.Google Scholar
Fisk, A. (1940). The technique of the coagulase test for staphylococci. Brit. J. exp. Path. 21, 311.Google Scholar
Gilllespie, E. H., Devenish, E. A. & Cowan, S. J. (1939). Pathogenic staphylococci: their incidence in the nose and on the skin. Lancet, 2, 870.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hallman, F. A. (1937). Pathogenic staphylococci in the anterior nares: their incidence and differentiation. Proc. Soc. exp. Biol., N.Y., 36, 789.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hart, D. (1937). Operating room infection: control of airborne pathogenic organisms, with particular reference to the use of special bactericidal radiant energy: preliminary report. Arch. Surg., Chicago, 34, 874.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ludlam, G. B. (1953). Incidence and penicillin sensitivity of Staphylococcus aureus in infants and mothers. J. Hyg., Camb., 51, 64.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McFarlan, A. M. (1938). Incidence of pathogenic staphylococci in the nose. Brit. med. J. 2, 939.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McFarlan, A. M. (1942). Staphylococcal infections in the new-born. II. Mon. Bull. Emerg. publ. Hlth Lab. Serv. 09, p. 2.Google Scholar
Martin, T. D. M. & Whitehead, J. E. M. (1949). Carriage of penicillin-resistant Staphylococcus pyogenes in healthy adults. Brit. med. J. 1, 173.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Martyn, G. (1949). Staphylococci in the new-born. Their coagulase production and resistance to penicillin and streptomycin. Brit. med. J. 1, 710.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Miles, A. A. (1941). Some problems of wound infection. Lancet, 2, 507.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Miles, A. A., Williams, R. E. O. & Cooper, Clayton B. (1944). The carriage of Staphylococcus (pyogenes) aureus in man and its relation to wound infection. J. Path. Bact. 56, 513.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moss, B., Squire, J. R. & Topley, E. (1948). Nose and skin carriage of Staphylococcus aureus in patients receiving penicillin. Lancet, 1, 320.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rountree, P. M. & Thomson, E. F. (1949). Incidence of penicillin-resistant and streptomycin-resistant staphylococci in hospital. Lancet, 2, 501.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rountree, P. M., Barbour, R. G. H. & Thomson, E. F. (1951). Incidence of penicillin-resistant and streptomycin-resistant staphylococci in a hospital. Lancet, 1, 435.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rountree, P. M., Barbour, R. G. H. & Thomson, E. F. (1953). Bacteriophage typing of strains of staphylococci isolated in Australia. Lancet, 1, 514.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Thomas, A. M. & Cunliffe, A. C. (1949). Quoted by Miles, A. A. (1941). Lancet, 2, 507.Google Scholar
Williams, R. E. O. (1946). Skin and nose carriage of bacteriophage types of Staphylococcus aureus. J. Path. Bact. 58, 259.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Williams, R. E. O. (1947). Quoted by Cunliffe, A. C. (1949). Lancet, 2, 411.Google Scholar
Williams, R. E. O. & Rippon, J. E. (1952). Bacteriophage typing of Staphylococcus aureus. J. Hyg., Camb., 50, 320.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Williams, R. E. O., Rippon, J. E. & Dowsett, L. M. (1953). Bacteriophage typing of strains of Staphylococcus aureus from various sources. Lancet, 2, 510.CrossRefGoogle Scholar