Prevalence evaluation of streptococcus pneumoniae in neutropenic cancer patients

Abstract EN

: Streptococcuspneumoniae is an important human pathogcn that causes both scrious invasivc infections, such as scpticacmia, meningitis and pncumonia, as well as mild upper rcspiratory infections.

It also belongs to the normal nasopharyngcal microbial flora.

The majority of cancer patients develop neutropenia, most often duc to chcmothcrapy.

The purpose of this study was to identify of pncumococci, among neutropénie cancer patients.

A total of 72 nasopharyngcal swabs were collcctcd from cancer patients attending Al-Sadcr Médical City for chcmothcrapy who were diagnosed as neutropénie, during 6- month study (2016-2017).

Ail swabs were culturcd on blood agar plates, 45 a-hcmolytic isolâtes suspcctcd to bc pncumococci were identified by phcnotypic methods using and identified using colony morphology, catalase, optochin susccptibility bile solubility and API 20 STREP, and a molecular methodusing PCR.

The results of API 20 STREP test alonc showed that out of 45 a-hcmolytic isolâtes only 12 (26.6%) were identified as S.

neumoniae.

But after combination with the other phcnotypic methods which arc catalase négative, optochin susccptibility and bile solubility the rcsult was out of 45 a-hemolytic isolâtes 23 (51.1%) were identified as S.

pneumoniae.

The results of the PCR test showed that from ail the 45 a-hcmolytic isolâtes 25(55.5%) were identified as S.

pneumonia.