Streptococcus pneumoniae Colonization Disrupts the Microbial Community within the Upper Respiratory Tract of Aging Mice

Nasopharyngeal colonization by the Gram-positive bacterium Streptococcus pneumonia is a prerequisite for pneumonia and invasive pneumococcal diseases. Colonization is asymptomatic, involving dynamic and complex interplay between commensals, the host immune system, and environmental factors. The elderly are at an increased risk of developing pneumonia, which might be due to changes in the respiratory microbiota that would impact bacterial …