Interactions between influenza A virus and Streptococcus pneumoniae in nasal colonization and middle ear infection

Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is a tremendously variable pathogen. Reflecting this, it is both a nearly ubiquitous nasopharyngeal colonizer and also a leading cause of otitis media, one of the most common diseases of childhood. Despite this, the factors underlying its transition from colonizer to otopathogen are incompletely understood and are of great interest. Epidemiologically, coinfection with influenza A virus is strongly linked to the incidence of otitis media in children and experimental models have identified numerous mechanisms by which viral infection predisposes to increased pneumococcal infection. Unclear, however, are the roles of specific pneumococcal factors in this coinfection process. This study was undertaken to examine the largely unexplored importance of two such factors of S. pneumoniae in coinfection with influenza A virus, namely phase variation and the pneumococcal neuraminidase NanA, using a novel animal model of nasal colonization and middle ear infection.

Grantor dc:publisher

Wake Forest University

Year dc:date.issued

2015

Author dc:creator

• Wren, John Thomas

• coinfection

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10339/57139

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:wakespace.lib.wfu.edu:10339/57139