Nasopharyngeal Streptococcus Pneumoniae among under-five year old children at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, Eldoret, Kenya

Objectives: To determine the prevalence, risk factors and antibiotic sensitivity of streptococcus pneumoniae carried in the upper respiratory tract of children. Design: A cross-sectional study on consecutive clients. Setting: Maternal Child Health Clinic (MCH) at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) in western Kenya. Subjects: Seventy eight of children attending Maternal Child Health Clinic between March 10^th 2003 and July 11^th 2003. Main outcome measures: Upper airway carriage status, ventilation, housing, age, illness, sensitivity patterns. Results: Fifty six percent were boys; the median age was six months (range 1-42 months). Streptococcus pneumoniae carriage rate was in 28 (35.9%) cases. Fifty two percent of S. pneumoniae were resistant to penicillin, 25% to ampicillin and 78% to cotrimoxazole. There was significant association between the type of floor with pneumococcal carriage (p = 0.009) with people living in earth floor houses being five times more likely to be pneumococcal carriers as compared to those living in cement floor houses. Conclusions: A. significant resistance of S. pneumoniae to penicillin, ampicillin and cotrimoxazole was found. Earth floored houses may increase susceptibility to upper airway S. pneumoniae carriage. Recommendation: Similar studies should be conducted in other parts of Kenya in order to learn about susceptibility patterns and associated risk factors, including floor type, in the country and tailor better treatment regimens.