Kingella kingae in Pediatric Bone and Joint Infections: The Diagnostic Value of Oropharyngeal Testing

Allan Bybeck Nielsen; Amalie Hundahl; Mette Holm; Katrine Hartung Hansen; Morten S Lindhard; Jonathan P Glenthøj; Luise Borch; Grethe Lemvik; Mads Damkjær; Lise Heilmann Jensen; Tatjana Zaharov; Ulla Hartling; Lisbeth S Schmidt; Ulrikka Nygaard

doi:10.1097/INF.0000000000005029

Kingella kingae in Pediatric Bone and Joint Infections: The Diagnostic Value of Oropharyngeal Testing

Allan Bybeck Nielsen
, Amalie Hundahl
, Mette Holm
, Katrine Hartung Hansen
, Morten S Lindhard
, Jonathan P Glenthøj
, Luise Borch
, Grethe Lemvik
, Mads Damkjær
, Lise Heilmann Jensen
, Tatjana Zaharov
, Ulla Hartling
, Lisbeth S Schmidt
, Ulrikka Nygaard^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review

Abstract

Oropharyngeal Kingella kingae DNA was identified in 16 of 16 children with proven K. kingae bone and joint infection (BJI) (sensitivity 100%; 95% confidence interval: 79-100) and in 33 of 112 with disproven K. kingae BJI (specificity 71%; 95% confidence interval: 61-79). Due to low specificity, we advocate against oropharyngeal K. kingae DNA testing as a diagnostic tool in children suspected of BJI.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	e87-e89
Number of pages	3
Journal	Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal
Volume	45
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1097/INF.0000000000005029
Publication status	Published - 1 Mar 2026

Keywords

Humans
Kingella kingae/isolation & purification
Neisseriaceae Infections/diagnosis
Oropharynx/microbiology
Child
Child, Preschool
Male
Female
Infant
Arthritis, Infectious/microbiology
Sensitivity and Specificity
DNA, Bacterial/genetics
Adolescent

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10.1097/INF.0000000000005029

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Nielsen, A. B., Hundahl, A., Holm, M., Hansen, K. H., Lindhard, M. S., Glenthøj, J. P., Borch, L., Lemvik, G., Damkjær, M., Jensen, L. H., Zaharov, T., Hartling, U., Schmidt, L. S., & Nygaard, U. (2026). Kingella kingae in Pediatric Bone and Joint Infections: The Diagnostic Value of Oropharyngeal Testing. Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal, 45(3), e87-e89. https://doi.org/10.1097/INF.0000000000005029

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title = "Kingella kingae in Pediatric Bone and Joint Infections: The Diagnostic Value of Oropharyngeal Testing",

abstract = "Oropharyngeal Kingella kingae DNA was identified in 16 of 16 children with proven K. kingae bone and joint infection (BJI) (sensitivity 100\%; 95\% confidence interval: 79-100) and in 33 of 112 with disproven K. kingae BJI (specificity 71\%; 95\% confidence interval: 61-79). Due to low specificity, we advocate against oropharyngeal K. kingae DNA testing as a diagnostic tool in children suspected of BJI.",

keywords = "Humans, Kingella kingae/isolation \& purification, Neisseriaceae Infections/diagnosis, Oropharynx/microbiology, Child, Child, Preschool, Male, Female, Infant, Arthritis, Infectious/microbiology, Sensitivity and Specificity, DNA, Bacterial/genetics, Adolescent",

author = "Nielsen, \{Allan Bybeck\} and Amalie Hundahl and Mette Holm and Hansen, \{Katrine Hartung\} and Lindhard, \{Morten S\} and Glenth{\o}j, \{Jonathan P\} and Luise Borch and Grethe Lemvik and Mads Damkj{\ae}r and Jensen, \{Lise Heilmann\} and Tatjana Zaharov and Ulla Hartling and Schmidt, \{Lisbeth S\} and Ulrikka Nygaard",

year = "2026",

month = mar,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1097/INF.0000000000005029",

language = "English",

volume = "45",

pages = "e87--e89",

journal = "Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal",

issn = "0891-3668",

publisher = "Lippincott Williams and Wilkins Ltd.",

number = "3",

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Nielsen, AB, Hundahl, A, Holm, M, Hansen, KH, Lindhard, MS, Glenthøj, JP, Borch, L, Lemvik, G, Damkjær, M, Jensen, LH , Zaharov, T, Hartling, U, Schmidt, LS & Nygaard, U 2026, 'Kingella kingae in Pediatric Bone and Joint Infections: The Diagnostic Value of Oropharyngeal Testing', Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal, vol. 45, no. 3, pp. e87-e89. https://doi.org/10.1097/INF.0000000000005029

TY - JOUR

T1 - Kingella kingae in Pediatric Bone and Joint Infections

T2 - The Diagnostic Value of Oropharyngeal Testing

AU - Nielsen, Allan Bybeck

AU - Hundahl, Amalie

AU - Holm, Mette

AU - Hansen, Katrine Hartung

AU - Lindhard, Morten S

AU - Glenthøj, Jonathan P

AU - Borch, Luise

AU - Lemvik, Grethe

AU - Damkjær, Mads

AU - Jensen, Lise Heilmann

AU - Zaharov, Tatjana

AU - Hartling, Ulla

AU - Schmidt, Lisbeth S

AU - Nygaard, Ulrikka

PY - 2026/3/1

Y1 - 2026/3/1

N2 - Oropharyngeal Kingella kingae DNA was identified in 16 of 16 children with proven K. kingae bone and joint infection (BJI) (sensitivity 100%; 95% confidence interval: 79-100) and in 33 of 112 with disproven K. kingae BJI (specificity 71%; 95% confidence interval: 61-79). Due to low specificity, we advocate against oropharyngeal K. kingae DNA testing as a diagnostic tool in children suspected of BJI.

AB - Oropharyngeal Kingella kingae DNA was identified in 16 of 16 children with proven K. kingae bone and joint infection (BJI) (sensitivity 100%; 95% confidence interval: 79-100) and in 33 of 112 with disproven K. kingae BJI (specificity 71%; 95% confidence interval: 61-79). Due to low specificity, we advocate against oropharyngeal K. kingae DNA testing as a diagnostic tool in children suspected of BJI.

KW - Humans

KW - Kingella kingae/isolation & purification

KW - Neisseriaceae Infections/diagnosis

KW - Oropharynx/microbiology

KW - Child

KW - Child, Preschool

KW - Male

KW - Female

KW - Infant

KW - Arthritis, Infectious/microbiology

KW - Sensitivity and Specificity

KW - DNA, Bacterial/genetics

KW - Adolescent

U2 - 10.1097/INF.0000000000005029

DO - 10.1097/INF.0000000000005029

M3 - Article

C2 - 41673936

SN - 0891-3668

VL - 45

SP - e87-e89

JO - Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal

JF - Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal

IS - 3

ER -

Kingella kingae in Pediatric Bone and Joint Infections: The Diagnostic Value of Oropharyngeal Testing

Abstract

Keywords

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