Nasopharyngeal carriage of Streptococcus pneumoniae in Navajo and White Mountain Apache children before the introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine.

Background: Infants and children are frequently colonized with pneumococcus. Recent nasopharyngeal acquisition of pneumococcus is thought to precede disease episodes. The increased risk of pneumococcal disease among Navajo and White Mountain Apache populations has been documented.

Indirect effect of 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine on pneumococcal colonization among unvaccinated household members.

Background: Since the introduction of 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) in the United States, rates of invasive pneumococcal disease have decreased in both vaccinated and unvaccinated age groups. Reduction of invasive pneumococcal disease in unvaccinated groups has been attributed to reduced transmission of vaccine-type pneumococci in the community. Understanding the impact of PCV7 on carriage among vaccinated and unvaccinated community members is critical to interpreting, predicting, and understanding the impact of PCV7 on disease.

Anticapsular serum antibody concentration and protection against pneumococcal colonization among children vaccinated with 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine.

Background: Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines prevent invasive and noninvasive disease due to infection with vaccine serotypes. Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines also prevent nasopharyngeal acquisition of vaccine serotypes, although the mechanism is incompletely understood.

Methods: An efficacy trial of a 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine was conducted on the Navajo and White Mountain Apache reservations, located in the Southwestern United States; group C meningococcal conjugate vaccine was the control vaccine.

Effect of community-wide conjugate pneumococcal vaccine use in infancy on nasopharyngeal carriage through 3 years of age: a cross-sectional study in a high-risk population.

Background: A 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PnCRM7) has been shown to be highly effective in preventing invasive pneumococcal disease. Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines also protect against nasopharyngeal carriage of vaccine serotypes, but the duration of protection against nasopharyngeal carriage is not known.

Methods: A group-randomized efficacy trial of PnCRM7 (vaccine serotypes 4, 6B, 9V, 14, 18C, 19F, and 23F) was conducted on the Navajo and White Mountain Apache reservations from April 1997 to October 2000.

Nasopharyngeal versus oropharyngeal sampling for detection of pneumococcal carriage in adults.

Several studies have shown that nasopharyngeal sampling is more sensitive than oropharyngeal sampling for the detection of pneumococcal carriage in children. The data for adults are limited and conflicting. This study was part of a larger study of pneumococcal carriage on the Navajo and White Mountain Apache Reservation following a clinical trial of a seven-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine.

Immunoblot method to detect Streptococcus pneumoniae and identify multiple serotypes from nasopharyngeal secretions.

Conventional culture techniques are limited in the ability to detect multiple Streptococcus pneumoniae serotypes in nasopharyngeal (NP) secretions. We developed an immunoblot (IB) method with monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) to detect S. pneumoniae and to identify serotypes.