Colonization rate of Streptococcus pneumoniae, its associated factors and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern among children attending kindergarten school in Hawassa, southern Ethiopia

Abstract

Abstract Objective The aim of this study was to determine the colonization rate of Streptococcus pneumoniae, antimicrobial susceptibility pattern and associated risk factors among children attending kindergarten school in Hawassa, Ethiopia. Results Out of 317 study participants, 68 (21.5%) were colonized with S. pneumoniae. Colonization rate was significantly associated with factors such as age (3 to 4 years old) (P = 0.01), having a sibling whose age was less than 5 years (P = 0.011), sharing a bed with parents (P = 0.005), cooking within bedroom (P = 0.002), and previous hospitalization (P = 0.004). Forty-four (64.6%), 33 (48.5%), and 2942.6%) of S. pneumoniae isolated were resistant to cotrimoxazole, penicillin, and tetracycline respectively.

Keywords

• S. pneumoniae
• Nasopharyngeal colonization
• Hawassa