Dataset Information

Colonization and transmission of Staphylococcus aureus in schools: a citizen science project.

ABSTRACT: Aggregation of children in schools has been established to be a key driver of transmission of infectious diseases. Mathematical models of transmission used to predict the impact of control measures, such as vaccination and testing, commonly depend on self-reported contact data. However, the link between self-reported social contacts and pathogen transmission has not been well described. To address this, we used Staphylococcus aureus as a model organism to track transmission within two secondary schools in England and test for associations between self-reported social contacts, test positivity and the bacterial strain collected from the same students. Students filled out a social contact survey and their S. aureus colonization status was ascertained through self-administered swabs from which isolates were sequenced. Isolates from the local community were also sequenced to assess the representativeness of school isolates. A low frequency of genome-linked transmission precluded a formal analysis of links between genomic and social networks, suggesting that S. aureus transmission within schools is too rare to make it a viable tool for this purpose. Whilst we found no evidence that schools are an important route of transmission, increased colonization rates found within schools imply that school-age children may be an important source of community transmission.

SUBMITTER: van Tonder AJ

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10210949 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Colonization and transmission of <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> in schools: a citizen science project.

van Tonder Andries J AJ McCullagh Frances F McKeand Hanan H Thaw Sue S Bellis Katie K Raisen Claire C Lay Liz L Aggarwal Dinesh D Holmes Mark M Parkhill Julian J Harrison Ewan M EM Kucharski Adam A Conlan Andrew A

Microbial genomics 20230401 4

Aggregation of children in schools has been established to be a key driver of transmission of infectious diseases. Mathematical models of transmission used to predict the impact of control measures, such as vaccination and testing, commonly depend on self-reported contact data. However, the link between self-reported social contacts and pathogen transmission has not been well described. To address this, we used <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> as a model organism to track transmission within two sec ...[more]

PMID: 37074324

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Colonization and transmission of Staphylococcus aureus in schools: a citizen science project.

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Colonization and transmission of <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> in schools: a citizen science project.

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Colonization and transmission of Staphylococcus aureus in schools: a citizen science project.

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Colonization and transmission of &lt;i&gt;Staphylococcus aureus&lt;/i&gt; in schools: a citizen science project.

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OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

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Colonization and transmission of <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> in schools: a citizen science project.