Staphylococci in the oral flora of healthy children and those receiving treatment for malignant disease

Abstract

Staphylococcus spp are an important cause of systemic infections among children receiving treatment for malignant disease. The mouths of 25 healthy children and 124 children with malignancy were screened for carriage of Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase negative staphylococci, antibiotic susceptibility tests undertaken and strains of S. aureus assayed for production of TSST-1 and enterotoxins A-D. Staphylococci were isolated from 92% of the healthy children, of whom 64% were colonised by S. aureus, 64% by S. epidermidis and 16% by S. warneri. Staphylococci were isolated from 42% of the children with malignancy and only 5% carried S. aureus. Coagulase. negative staphylococci were isolated from 37% of those with malignancy, predominantly S. epidermidis. There were significant differences in the antibiotic sensitivity profiles for strains of S. epidermidis isolated from the healthy children and those with malignant disease. Of the S. aureus strains isolated from the healthy children, 50% produced either TSST-1 and/or enterotoxins A and B. It is concluded that the oral cavity is an important reservoir for Staphylococcus spp in childhood.