Pneumococcus: Vaccine Preventable Diseases Surveillance Standards

Overview

The bacteria Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is the most frequent cause of severe pneumonia and pneumonia deaths worldwide. Pneumococci frequently asymptomatically colonize the human nasopharynx, particularly in children. The bacteria can spread contiguously to cause otitis media and sinusitis, be aspirated to cause pneumonia or invade normally sterile sites to cause sepsis or meningitis. Morbidity and mortality for serious pneumococcal disease is highest in children and the elderly. Case fatality rates can be high for invasive pneumococcal disease, ranging up to 20% for sepsis and 50% for meningitis in developing countries.

It is estimated that in 2008, 541,000 HIV-negative children < 5 years of age died from pneumococcal disease (1). Development of pneumococcal resistance to commonly used antibiotics, such as penicillins, macrolides, cephalosporins and cotrimoxazole, is a serious problem in some parts of the world. While most pneumococcal disease is sporadic, large outbreaks of meningitis, usually serotype 1, have occurred in the African meningitis belt. Smaller outbreaks occur in crowded settings (daycare centers, homeless shelters, etc.).