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6984486 
Journal Article 
The “cloud baby”: an example of bacterial-viral interaction 
Eichenwald, HF; Kotsevalov, O; Fasso, LA 
1960 
1 
American Journal of Diseases of Children
ISSN: 0002-922X 
100 
2 
30-43 
English 
13819646 
BCI:BCI19624000011819 
Detaled studies on the spread of staphylococci in a number of different nurseries, carried out by the use of epidemiologic techniques in conjunction with air-sampling methods, have shown that a newborn infant infected with staphylococci may fall into 1 of 2 distinct groups. The majority of babies possess a low index of infectivity or contagiousness, while a small minority are highly infectious to others. Because infants of this latter group are literally surrounded by clouds of bacteria, they have been called "cloud babies." Our evidence clearly indicates that these "cloud babies" are an important factor in explosive outbreaks of staphylococcal infection and disease, both during their stay in a nursery and, after discharge, within the family unit. The factors that determine whether any given infant becomes a "cloud baby" or not have been investigated by use of air-samplers to measure the degree of "cloudiness." The clinically well "cloud baby" contaminates the atmosphere chiefly from his respiratory tract, with skin, cord, or clothing representing only a minor source of microbes. The appearance of lesions of staphylococcal disease, such as impetigo, generally converts a non-infectious infant to a disseminator, and these sites of disease then contribute to the dissemination of microbes. "Cloud babies" do not present any overt sign of disease. Investigation of these clinically well but infectious infants showed that a factor is responsible for the phenomenon of "cloudiness" which operates independently of the Staphylococcus, is itself infectious, and has a distinct epidemiology of its own. This factor appears to consist of a number of respiratory viruses occasionally encountered in hospitalized newborn infants.