Higher rate of S. aureus bacteremia among first-degree relatives, especially siblings
WEDNESDAY, July 6, 2016 (HealthDay News) — History of Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia in a first-degree relative, especially a sibling, is associated with an increased rate of the disease, according to a study published online July 4 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Louise B. Oestergaard, M.D., from Copenhagen University Hospital in Denmark, and colleagues conducted a register-based cohort study to examine whether a history of S. aureus bacteremia in first-degree relatives increases the rate of the disease. They followed 34,774 individuals with a first-degree relative previously hospitalized with S. aureus bacteremia; follow-up was for a median of 7.8 years.
The researchers found that these individuals had a higher rate of S. aureus bacteremia than in the background population (standardized incidence ratio [SIR], 2.49). If the index case patient was a sibling, the estimate was significantly higher than if the index case patient was a parent (SIR, 5.01 versus 1.96). There was no interaction related to the sex of the first-degree relative. The highest rates were seen in individuals exposed to index case patients with non-hospital-acquired infection. Few patients were infected with genetically identical bacteremia isolates.
“A significant familial clustering of S. aureus bacteremia was found, with the greatest relative rate of disease observed in individuals exposed to siblings with a history of the disease,” the authors write.
One author disclosed financial ties to the biopharmaceutical industry.
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