Uninfected grown-ups potentially harbor Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria

In a groundbreaking study, researchers from ITQB NOVA have discovered that the acquisition of pneumococcus, a major human pathogen and the most common cause of community-acquired bacterial pneumonia in adults in Europe, is frequent among healthy adults, and carriage can last several months.

The study, which followed 87 adults aged 25-50 in Portugal for six months, collected nasopharyngeal, oropharyngeal, and saliva samples periodically and screened them for the presence of pneumococcus using molecular methods like real-time PCR.

The estimated risk of an adult being colonized with pneumococcus at least once during a year was found to be 57.5%. Contrary to previous assumptions, the duration of carriage in adults did not depend on regular contact with children. Intriguingly, some adults carried pneumococcus for more than 6 months, the duration of the study. The median duration of carriage was almost two months, higher than previously reported.

Despite the significance of this research, the name of the research team that conducted the study on the dynamics of Streptococcus pneumoniae carriage activity in adults remains undisclosed. The study's findings were published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases, with the DOI for the study being 10.1093/infdis/jiaa558.

The findings highlight the need for further research into the colonization of pneumococcus within adults, a topic that remains largely unexplored. As the study demonstrates, pneumococcus can persist in adults for extended periods, potentially posing a significant health risk.

In conclusion, the study provides valuable insights into the prevalence and duration of pneumococcus carriage in healthy adults, contributing to a better understanding of this common pathogen and its impact on public health.