Bacterial colonization of pacifiers of infants with acute otitis media

Abstract

AbstractThe presence of aerobic and facultative anaerobic bacteria on the surface of pacifiers used by children with acute otitis media was investigated. The surface of 40 recently used pacifiers was swabbed after they were allowed to dry for five to six minutes. The swabs were processed quantitatively for the presence of aerobic bacteria. The antibacterial activity of the pacifier material was testedin vitro. Microorganisms were isolated from 21 (52.5 per cent) pacifiers. The number of colonies per pacifier varied between one and 35 (average six). The isolates included eight α-haemolytic streptococci, sixStaphylococcus epidermis, fiveCandida albicans, five α-haemolytic streptococci, threeNeisseriaspp. and twoStaphylococcus aureus. The pacifier material was shown to be inhibitory againstS. aureus. This study illustrated that pacifiers do not contain high numbers of organisms and therefore are not likely to serve as a source of persistence of transfer of organisms.