Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2012 Feb;14(1):140-5.
doi: 10.1007/s10903-011-9494-1.

Epidemiology of respiratory infections caused by atypical bacteria in two Kenyan refugee camps

Curi Kim  1 , Raymond Nyoka, Jamal A Ahmed, Jonas M Winchell, Stephanie L Mitchell, M Kariuki Njenga, Erick Auko, Wagacha Burton, Robert F Breiman, Rachel B Eidex
Affiliations

Epidemiology of respiratory infections caused by atypical bacteria in two Kenyan refugee camps

Curi Kim et al. J Immigr Minor Health. 2012 Feb.

Abstract

Chlamydia pneumoniae, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, and Legionella spp. are common causes of atypical pneumonia; however, data about these atypical pathogens are limited in the refugee setting. Paired nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal specimens were collected from patients with respiratory illness presenting to healthcare centers in two refugee camps in Kenya. The specimens were tested for C. pneumoniae, M. pneumoniae, and Legionella spp. as well as eight respiratory viruses. Atypical pathogens were detected in 5.5% of the specimens of which 54% were co-infected with at least one of the eight viruses tested. Patients positive for atypical bacteria co-infected with virus were significantly more likely to have severe acute respiratory illness than patients infected with only atypical bacteria (P = 0.04). While the percentage of atypical pathogens identified was lower than expected, we found a significant relationship between atypical bacterial-viral co-infection and severity of disease in this refugee population.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Distribution of C. pneumoniae and M. pneumoniae cases—Dadaab and Kakuma refugee camps, May 2007–March 2008
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Cunha BA. The atypical pneumonias: clinical diagnosis and importance. Clin Microbiol Infect. 2006;12(Suppl 3):12–24. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-0691.2006.01393.x. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Principi N, Esposito S. Emerging role of Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Chlamydia pneumoniae in paediatric respiratory-tract infections. Lancet Infect Dis. 2001;1(5):334–344. doi: 10.1016/S1473-3099(01)00147-5. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Gray GC, Rodie GR, Matras-Maslin VC, Honein MA, Ismail EA, Botros BA, Soliman AK, Merrell BR, Wang SP, Grayston JT. Serologic evidence of respiratory and rickettsial infections among Somali refugees. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 1995;52(4):349–353. - PubMed
    1. World Health Organization: WHO Regional Office for Europe guidance for influenza surveillance in humans. Available from: http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/90443/E92738.pdf (2009).
    1. World Health Organization: IMCI integrated management of childhood illness. Available from: http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2005/9241546441.pdf (2005).

LinkOut - more resources