Study to Characterize and Identify Bacteria Causing Acute Otitis Media in Young Egyptian Children

Inclusion Criteria: * Age: \>= 3 months and \< 5 years at the time of enrolment. The subject becomes ineligible on the fifth birthday. * Signs, symptoms, and conditions: * One of the functional or general signs of otalgia, conjunctivitis, fever AND EITHER * Paradise's criteria, OR * Spontaneous otorrhoea of less than 1 day. * Onset of signs and symptoms of acute otitis media within 3 days prior to diagnosis of acute otitis media by a physician. To be included as treatment failure, subjects must have then received antibiotic treatment from the physician, but remain symptomatic 2-3 days after initiation of treatment. * Written informed consent obtained from parent(s) or Legally Acceptable Representative prior to study start. Exclusion Criteria: * Hospitalised during the diagnosis of acute otitis media or during treatment, * Otitis externa, or otitis media with effusion, * Presence of a transtympanic aerator, * Systemic antibiotic treatment received for a disease other than acute otitis media in the 3 days prior to enrolment, * Receiving antimicrobial prophylaxis for recurrent acute otitis media, * Provision of antibiotic by the ear nose and throat specialist at the enrolment visit, prior to the sampling of the middle ear fluid by tympanocentesis or spontaneous otorrhoea, * Patients on antibiotics for acute otitis media who are clinically improving. * Child in care.