Neonatal pneumococcal colonisation caused by Influenza A infection alters lung function in adult mice

Abstract

There is emerging epidemiological data to suggest that upper respiratory tract bacterial colonisation in infancy may increase the risk of developing respiratory dysfunction later in life, and respiratory viruses are known to precipitate persistent colonisation. This study utilized a neonatal mouse model of Streptococcus pneumonia (SP) and influenza A virus (IAV) co-infection, where bronchoalveolar leukocyte infiltration had resolved by adulthood. Only co-infection resulted in persistent nasopharyngeal colonisation over 40 days and a significant increase in airway resistance in response to in vivo methacholine challenge. A significant increase in hysteresivity was also observed in IAV and co-..