Alieh Lotfinejad
Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Center, Health Research Institute, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
Title: Identification of Streptococcus pneumoniae by PCR from nasopharynx of patients with acute respiratory tract infections
Biography
Biography: Alieh Lotfinejad
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae is a human pathogen of major importance. It causes both mucosal and invasive diseases including pneumonia, otitis media, arthritis, septicemia, and meningitis. This bacterium is considered as not only an aggressive pathogen but a normal part of the human respiratory microbiome. Although S. pneumoniae can be detected by microscopy and culturing, currently PCR are increasingly being used in the etiological diagnosis of microbial infections. In this study, a total number of 93 nasopharyngeal samples were collected from patients with acute respiratory infection. Isolates of S. pneumoniae were confirmed by α-hemolysis of colonies appeared, optochin sensitivity, and bile solubility. The presence of ply gene was also discovered by PCR. 7 (7.53%) isolates among 93 nasopharyngeal samples were confirmed as S. pneumoniae by all of phenotypic tests, while the PCR assay revealed that 19 isolates (20.43%) were positive for virulence gene, ply. The present study found out the identification of Streptococcus pneumoniae should be based on phenotypic tests and at least a molecular method such as PCR.