Asymptomatic carriage of Streptococcus pneumoniae detected by qPCR on the palm of hands of populations in rural Senegal

摘要

Author summary Infectious diseases are one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the world. They kill nearly 17 million people worldwide each year, mainly in developing countries. They are transmitted through four main channels: air, oral, parenteral and contact. The prevention of infectious diseases requires an understanding of the population's way of life and the knowledge of pathogenic microorganisms in circulation. Many diseases are transmitted through contact with soiled hands. This study allowed us to explore the pathogenic bacteria carriage on the skin in a rural population, following skin swabs made on the palms of the hands. Previous studies have shown that hands play an important role in the transmission and the prevention of infectious diseases such as diarrhea and pneumonia. One of the main results is the detection in high proportion of pathogenic bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus and especially Streptococcus pneumoniae. Life in rural areas exposes the population to a lot of pathogenic microorganisms. These results could be used to implement prevention strategies against certain infectious diseases, by raising awareness of the importance of body hygiene and specifically hands hygiene, in order to improve the health of the population.