Streptococcus pneumoniae

What is Streptococcus pneumoniae?

Streptococcus pneumoniae (pronounced strep-toh-KOK-us nu-mo-nee-AY-ee; also known as pneumococcus or pneumococcal bacteria) causes pneumococcal infections and affects children and adults worldwide. S. pneumoniae infects the upper respiratory tract and can cause pneumonia, as well as infections in other parts of the body such as in the bloodstream (bacteremia), lining of the brain and spinal cord (meningitis), bones (osteomyelitis), joints (arthritis), ears (otitis media) and sinuses (sinusitis).

How many people are infected with S. pneumoniae?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, each year in the United States S. pneumoniae causes approximately 700 cases of meningitis, 17,000 cases of bacteremia or other invasive disease in children under the age of five. Children under the age of two average more than one middle ear infection each year, many of which are caused by pneumococcal infections. S. pneumoniae is the most common cause of bacteremia, pneumonia, meningitis and otitis media in young children.

Pneumococcus can also cause illness and death among the elderly and other high risk populations, including those with serious chronic health problems such as heart disease and diabetes; those with compromised immunity; and certain ethnic groups such as Alaskan Natives and Native Americans.

How is S. pneumoniae infection spread?

Transmission of S. pneumoniae is mostly through the spread of respiratory droplets from the nose or mouth of a person with a pneumococcal infection or from people (especially children) who carry the bacteria in their throats without being ill.

How is S. pneumoniae infection treated?

Pneumococcal disease is treated with antibiotics. Over the last decade, many pneumococci have become resistant to some of the antibiotics used to treat pneumococcal infections, and high levels of resistance to penicillin are common.

Can S. pneumoniae infection be prevented?

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently licensed a new vaccine for the prevention of pneumococcal disease in infants and toddlers. The new vaccine conjugates (or links) the bacterial serotypes to a protein and has been shown to be highly effective in preventing invasive pneumococcal diseases, such as otitis media and pneumonia.

There are two other vaccines that are currently recommended for use in all adults who are over the age of 65 as well as for high risk persons, including those with sickle cell disease, HIV infection or other immunocompromising conditions.

Preventing S. pneumoniae infection can be challenging given that supplies of the pediatric vaccine are inadequate and the adult vaccines are underused. In addition, sensitive, rapid diagnostic tests are not available for many types of pneumococcal infections, and widespread overuse of antibiotics continues to contribute to emerging drug resistance.

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