Abstract
In a prospective clinical study, rates of isolation ofMoraxella catarrhalis in nasopharyngeal aspirates from 122 children with respiratory tract infection and 72 healthy controls were compared. In the patient group,Moraxella catarrhalis andStreptococcus pneumoniae were the most frequently isolated pathogens (38% and 42%, respectively). Monocultures of each pathogen were equally distributed in patients and controls (41% vs. 42%), whereas mixed infections were found more frequently in the patient group (42% vs. 14%; normal flora, 17% vs. 44%).Moraxella catarrhalis appears to be a relevant respiratory pathogen. The isolation of two or more pathogens in nasopharyngeal aspirates seems to be as indicative of relevant infection as is monoculture.
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Berner, R., Schumacher, R.F., Brandis, M. et al. Colonization and infection withMoraxella catarrhalis in childhood. Eur. J. Clin. Microbiol. Infect. Dis. 15, 506–509 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01691320
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01691320