Acute tonsillitis is one of the most common infectious diseases of the upper respiratory tract, characterized by inflammatory lesions of the palatine tonsils and significant variability of clinical manifestations. Despite the traditional view of the leading role of bacterial pathogens, modern studies indicate a significant role for viral agents and opportunistic microbiota.. The aim of this study was to examine the microbiological composition of palatine tonsils in patients with acute tonsillitis across different age groups and to identify possible etiological factors of the disease. The study involved 45 people, including 30 patients with acute tonsillitis and 15 healthy control patients. A bacteriological study of smears from the palatine tonsils was performed, followed by identification of the microorganisms. It was found that in most cases, opportunistic microflora prevails, while the frequency of detection of classical bacterial pathogens remains low. The results confirm the significant role of viral etiology in the development of acute tonsillitis and justify the need to rationalize antibacterial therapy based on microbiological data.
Semenov et al. (2026) studied this question.