Panel 4: Report of the Microbiology Panel:

ObjectiveTo perform a comprehensive review of the literature from July 2011 until June 2015 on the virology and bacteriology of otitis media in children.Data SourcesPubMed database of the National Library of Medicine.Review MethodsTwo subpanels comprising experts in the virology and bacteriology of otitis media were created. Each panel reviewed the relevant literature in the fields of virology and bacteriology and generated draft reviews. These initial reviews were distributed to all panel members prior to meeting together at the Post-symposium Research Conference of the 18th International Symposium on Recent Advances in Otitis Media, National Harbor, Maryland, in June 2015. A final draft was created, circulated, and approved by all panel members.ConclusionsExcellent progress has been made in the past 4 years in advancing our understanding of the microbiology of otitis media. Numerous advances were made in basic laboratory studies, in animal models of otitis media, in better understanding the epidemiology...