Contact with young children is a major risk factor for pneumococcal colonization in older adults.

ABSTRACT: Important questions remain about the sources of transmission of pneumococcus to older adults in the community. This is critical for understanding the potential effects of using pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) in children and older adults. For non-institutionalized individuals, we hypothesized that the most likely source of adult-to-adult transmission is within the household. We designed a longitudinal study to sample adults ≥60 years of age living in the same household (New Haven, CT, USA), without younger residents in the household. Saliva samples and social and health questionnaires were obtained every 2 weeks for a period of 10 weeks. DNA extracted from culture-enriched saliva was tested using qPCR for pneumococcus genes piaB, lytA, and serotype. Across two study seasons (

SUBMITTER: Wyllie AL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11536760 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature