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Review
. 2008 Dec 23:26 Suppl 7:G5-10.
doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2008.11.006.

Microbiology of otitis media: a moving target

Anne Vergison  1
Affiliations
Review

Microbiology of otitis media: a moving target

Anne Vergison. Vaccine. .

Abstract

The microbiology of acute otitis media (AOM) is linked to the nasopharyngeal commensal flora. This respiratory ecosystem undergoes various selective pressures, such as antibiotic consumption and vaccine use. Socio-economic conditions also influence the bacterial composition of the nasopharynx. Streptococcus pneumoniae, non-encapsulated Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis, and group A Streptococcus are the leading causes of bacterial AOM worldwide. This paper will discuss the causes and consequences of recent shifts in the underlying microbiology of AOM.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Worldwide distribution of the main otopathogens.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Age-specific incidence rates of AOM . Reproduced with permission from Kilpi et al. Bacteriology of acute otitis media in a cohort of Finnish children followed for the first two years of life. Pediatr Infect Dis J 2001;20:654-62.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
AOM pathogens identified in the PCV7 era using tympanocentesis in US children failing initial antibiotic therapy or with recurrent infection . Pichichero et al. Clin Pediatr (Phila); June 16, 2008 [Epub ahead of print], © 2008 by SAGE. Reprinted by permission of SAGE publications.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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