High Prevalence of Nasopharyngeal Colonization by Staphylococcus aureus Among Children with HIV-1 Infection in Extreme Southern Brazil

OBJECTIVES: To compare nasopharyngeal colonization between children with HIV-1 infection and those without HIV-1 infection with special emphasis on nasopharyngeal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus. METHODS: This hospital-based cross-sectional study was carried out in the Paediatric Day Hospital of a teaching hospital. Nasopharyngeal swabs were collected in 93 children aged up to 18 years old born to HIV-positive mothers (31 children with HIV-1 infection and 62 age-matched non-infected children). RESULTS: The prevalence of nasopharyngeal colonization by S. aureus was higher among children with HIV-1 infection compared with those without HIV-1 infection (45.16% vs. 12.9% p = 0.001). After adjusting all potential confounders HIV-1 infection was an independent risk factor for nasopharyngeal colonization by S. aureus with a prevalence ratio of 4.29 (95% confidence interval: 1.72-10.70). CONCLUSION: Children with HIV-1 infection had a higher prevalence of nasopharyngeal colonization by S. aureus than children without HIV-1 infection. Most of the isolated strains of S. aureus were methicillin-susceptible.