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Bacterial Suprainfection as a Complicating Factor

Robert W. Olson, DO; Glenn R. Hodges, MD

JAMA. 1975;232(4):363-365.

Abstract
During a 3 1/2-month period, 32 previously healthy young men were first seen with typical prodromal symptoms and signs of measles. On admission or within 48 hours of admission, 16 patients (50%) manifested physical signs and roentgenographic evidence of pneumonia. Of these 16 patients, ten (63%) were found to have bacterial suprainfection or colonization confirmed by culture of transtracheal aspirates. From six of these ten patients, Neisseria meningitidis serogroup Y was isolated as the sole organism responsible for suprainfection. In the other four patients, Haemophilus species, Neisseria species (not N gonorrheae or N meningitidis), Streptococcus pneumoniae, and β-hemolytic Streptococcus (not group A or D) were isolated alone or in combination. The data suggest that bacterial suprainfection associated with measles pneumonia is not unusual in adults and N meningitidis serogroup Y is a potential pathogen of the lower respiratory tract.

(JAMA 232:363-365, 1975)

Author Affiliations
From the Medical Service, Naval Hospital, Great Lakes, III. Dr. Olson is now with the Medical Service, Naval Hospital, Philadelphia. Dr. Hodges is now with the Section of Infectious Diseases, Medical Service, Veterans Administration Hospital, Kansas City, Mo.

Footnotes
The opinions and assertions herein are those of the authors and are not to be construed as official or as reflecting the views of the Navy Department or the Naval Service at large.

Reprint requests to Section of Infectious Diseases, Medical Service, Veterans Administration Hospital, 4801 Linwood Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64128 (Dr. Hodges).

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