Table 4 H. influenzae , S. pneumoniae , and M. catarrhalis bacterial loads in A. otitidis -positive ear discharge swabs

In A. otitidis-positive ED swabs (n = 11^#)

qPCR-positive swabs

11

10

3

4

Culture-positive swabs

5

4

2

1

Bacterial load range (cells/swab)

2.2 × 10⁴-1.1 ×10⁸

4.3 ×10⁴-1.2 ×10⁷

3.5 ×10⁴-1.8 ×10⁵

4.3 ×10⁴-5.9 ×10⁵

Number of swabs with bacterial load >1x10⁶ cells/swab

5

5

0

0

Number of swabs culture-positive and bacterial load >1x10⁶ cells/swab

4

3

0

0

Number of swabs with relative abundance <1%

6

5

3

4

Relative abundance range (%)

0.01-0.70

0.02-0.79

0.01-0.68

0.01-0.89

Number of swabs with relative abundance >1%

5

5

0

0

Relative abundance range (%)

2-34

4-27

0

0