Since September 2001, 121 pediatricians who are part of a research and teaching network (ACTIV) throughout France participated at this prospective study. From October to June of each subsequent year, children of both sexes suffering from suppurative acute otitis media (AOM) with fever and/or otalgia (in order to increase the probability of pneumococcal AOM), aged 6 to 24 months, were enrolled.

