2617. Increased Nasopharyngeal Pneumococcal Density During Asymptomatic Respiratory Virus Infection Is Associated with Subsequent Development of Acute Respiratory Illness

BACKGROUND: Increased density of nasopharyngeal (NP) pneumococcal colonization has been associated with invasive pneumococcal disease in children. However, factors that lead to increased pneumococcal density are poorly understood. We sought to determine whether viral detection during asymptomatic periods in young children was associated with increased NP pneumococcal density and the subsequent development of acute respiratory illness (ARI). METHODS: Using NP samples obtained during asymptomatic periods from children less than 3 years of age in the rural Peruvian Andes, we determined NP pneumococcal colonization density by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and identified respiratory viruses by RT–PCR. We examined the association between viral detection and pneumococcal density adjusting for relevant covariates using a multivariable quantile mixed effects regression model. We also assessed the association of pneumococcal density during asymptomatic periods in these children on the time to the next ARI using survival analysis. RESULTS: During asymptomatic periods, the presence of NP pneumococcal colonization was more common when respiratory viruses were detected. In addition, in the multivariable model, log(10)-transformed pneumococcal densities were significantly higher during asymptomatic periods when viruses were detected [median 4.52 (4.14, 5.01) P < 0.001], specifically human rhinovirus (HRV) [median 4.58 (4.27, 5.12), P < 0.001] and adenovirus (AdV) [median 4.21 (3.79, 4.91), P = 0.014], compared with when no virus was detected [median 3.16 (2.92, 3.73), Figure 1]. Increased pneumococcal density was also significantly associated with a higher rate of subsequent ARI (p = 0.008, Figure 2). CONCLUSION: Among young children, detection of respiratory viruses during asymptomatic periods was associated with increased pneumococcal colonization density, which, in turn, was associated with higher rate of subsequent ARI. [Image: see text] [Image: see text] DISCLOSURES: All authors: No reported disclosures.