The Prevalence Of Streptococcus Pneumonia In Pneumonia Patients
[A CASE STUDY OF UNTH ENUGU]

1.3 CAUSES OF PNEUMONIA 

Cause for the development of pneumonia are extrinsic or intrinsic and various bacteria causative against exist (Nester et al 2001).

Extrinsic factor include exposure to a causative agent pulmonary irratante, or direct pulmonary injury, while intrinsic  factor are related to the host. 

In  most cause, the primary infection is casued by qa virus eg Rhinovirus, Adanovirus etc. but there is often a secondary infection with a bacteria pathogen from the upper respiratory tract, most ommon is streptococcus pneumonia Gawatz et al, 2001) the streptococcus pneumonia also know as pnumococcus appears to be the primary cause of many cases of pneumonia, particularly ldorar and bronche pneumonia with Homophiles influenza as a frequent co- pathogen (Fraser, 1996) but often these pneumonic infection are triggered by a proceeding viral infection of the upper respiratory tract such as common cold (Wisconsin, 2003). 

Other secondary invaders of the lower respiratory tract that can cause pneumonia are staphylococcus aureus, which may cause fatal pneumonia after streptococcus pneumonia (Staphen, 2002). Haemophilus influenza, Kiabsiella pneumonia etc Jawetz at al 2001).

1.4 JUSTIFICATION

Pneumonia infection is one of the major cause of death world wide and the infection is increasing rapidly in Enugu metropolis with streptococcus pneumoniae as the major pathogen (Okafor 1992). Therefore there is need to find out if this virulent organism is actually the primary bacterium that causes premnonia in Enugu metropolis. Although, many persons carry these bacteria harmlessly in their threat, mouth and nasopharyux and these are likely to contaminate the sputum as it is expected through the throat and mouth so as the commensal in nasopharynx which can equally contaminate the nasopharyueal swab (Ross, 1994).

1.5 AIMS AND OBJECTIVE

The aims and objective of this work are: 

1. To isolate bacterial pathogens form pneumonia patients. 

2. To ascertain the prevalence of streptococcus pneumonia in pneumonia patient using UNTH as a cast study. 

3. To determine the aga group and sex that are more susceptible to this infection.