New research from Flinders University has highlighted how a simple throat swab could serve as an early warning sign for older adults in aged care facilities, revealing a deeper link between certain bacteria and overall health.
“Our findings suggest that certain bacteria detected in the back of the throat could indicate greater health vulnerability in older adults,” says Sophie Miller, PhD candidate and lead investigator in the College of Medicine and Public Health at Flinders University.
The study monitored 190 aged care residents in metropolitan South Australia, collecting oropharyngeal (throat) swabs and tracking their health outcomes over 12 months. One bacterium, Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), stood out for its strong association with poorer health measures.
“This discovery suggests the usability of the microbiome as an additional marker of identifying residents who may require extra care or monitoring,” Miller explains. Residents carrying S. aureus were found to be nearly ten times more likely to die within a year compared to non-carriers, indicating that “the presence of S. aureus was found to be a stronger predictor of mortality risk than an individual’s number of comorbidities—health conditions that are commonly used to assess the general health of elderly individuals.”
According to Miller, factors such as “taking multiple medications and having more frequent healthcare visits” can alter the bacterial mix in the throat and “may result in physiological shifts that increase vulnerability to diseases and frailty.” Even after considering existing health conditions, “the link between S. aureus and mortality risk remained significantly high,” she adds.
Senior author Professor Geraint Rogers, Director of the Microbiome and Host Health program at SAHMRI, views these findings as an important step forward. “It’s fascinating that we see this relationship with S. aureus, even in the absence of any clear evidence of infection,” says Professor Rogers. “This underscores the idea that the presence of certain bacteria, like S. aureus, could be an indicator of general health decline, rather than being directly associated with infection.”
While the results are promising, both Miller and Professor Rogers stress the need for additional studies. “This study marks an important step toward using simple microbial markers to inform healthcare strategies and improve outcomes for aged care residents,” says Professor Rogers. “While the findings are compelling, more research is needed to confirm these results and explore the long-term implications. By studying larger groups of residents, we hope to uncover more ways to improve care and support for older adults.”
Ritchelle is a Content Producer for Healthcare Channel, Australia’s premier resource of information for healthcare.
