Real-time near-infrared imaging distinguishes nasopharyngeal colonization from aspiration of Streptococcus pneumoniae and identifies aspiration as a trigger of severe disease

Abstract

Streptococcus pneumoniae asymptomatically colonizes the nasopharynx but can invade the lower respiratory tract to cause life-threatening disease, particularly in older adults. However, whether the initial site of bacterial deposition following intranasal inoculation determines disease progression has not been directly examined.

The paper