What is pneumococcal disease and why is its incidence in Spain rising to pre-pandemic levels?

pneumococcal infection or pneumococcus it is a serious infection caused by bacteria Pneumococcus. This pathology can cause a wide range of clinical manifestations, ranging from pneumonia, sepsis, meningitis, arthritis, cellulitis or endocarditis. Among patients with this infectious disease, mortality is higher in children under five and the elderly. The problem? Pneumococcal levels rise in Spain. They are currently even higher than before the Covid-19 pandemic.

The resurgence of pneumococcal infection is one of the conclusions reached by scientists I am learning Spanish published today in the magazine Infection log. In it, a team from the Pneumococcal Reference Laboratory of the National Microbiology Center of the Carlos III Institute of Health (ISCIII) – an organization dependent on the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities – shows that the use of non-pharmacological measures such as the use of masks, hand washing, isolation, and social distancing caused significant reduction in pneumococcal infections

in the first two years of the pandemic.

However, after the measures were lifted and relaxed, the number of cases of the disease exceeded the pre-pandemic level. The investigation is analyzing the situation invasive pneumococcal infection V Spain in the period 2019-2023 among children and adultsHe also analyzed the impact that New conjugate vaccines recently approvedas well as those that are in clinical development to prevent the emergence of new serotypes that have emerged since the pandemic.

High-mortality pneumococcal serotype on the rise in Spain

There are many serotypes of pneumococcus. However, among the serotypes that have increased the most in Spain are serotype 3, which is one of those associated with higher mortality.This mainly concerns the population under 5 years of age and adults over 65 years of age.

It is also worth noting the presence serotype 4 associated with infections in young adultsOn the other hand, serotype 24F in children and serotype 8 in the adult population also continue to play an important role in morbidity.

Invasive multidrug-resistant pneumococcal strains

He Pneumococcus or pneumococcus is the main cause of community-acquired pneumonia of bacterial etiology, as well as sepsis and meningitis. This study conducted by ISCIII confirms increase in cases of diseases caused by invasive strainsSome of them are associated with high levels of antibiotic resistance, which is a serious public health problem.

In this sense, the same research group already noted in 2022 in a study published in Lancet Microbebelonging possible increase in cases due to resistant strains early in the pandemic. In addition, another previous study published in Clinical infectious diseases Data from 2009 to 2019 have made it possible to “map” invasive pneumococcal disease in Spain over the past decade, showing an increase in cases.

A team led by Dr. Jose Yuste concludes that the use of new conjugate vaccineswith a broader spectrum of protection and/or immunogenicity than those previously available and recently authorized in Spain may help prevent many of these casesincluding newly emerging serotypes.

According to the ISCIII researcher, “it is important to remember that among the adult population Pneumococcal vaccination is not seasonal. and therefore it can be administered at any time of year; “Unlike flu vaccines, which are modified every year and must be given every year, the pneumococcal vaccine is usually given only once in a lifetime.”

The team in charge of the work is led by José Yuste, a researcher at CNM-ISCIII. Julio Sempere, Covadonga Pérez-García, Samantha Hita, Aida Úbeda, Erick Joan Vidal, Joaquín Llorente and Mirian Domènech from the Institute’s Pneumococcal Reference Laboratory are also participating. In addition, the Respiratory Diseases (CIBERES) and Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP) departments of CIBER-ISCIII, the General Directorate of Public Health of the Ministry of Health and various Spanish universities and hospitals are collaborating.