this Invasive pneumococcal diseasethis is not good and is made up of Streptococcus pneumoniae.
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is calledbacteria pneumococcusyes One of the leading causes of acute and invasive respiratory infectionslike pneumonia, in all ages.
except pneumoniapneumococcal disease can cause other conditions, such as:
- Otitis media
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pneumococcal meningitis
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bacteremia
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septicemia.
these types of infections fundamentally affect Divided into two groups: children and elderlyand resulted in massive hospitalizations.
In fact, studies show that the hospitalization rate for this bacterium in children under 1 year old is 18.6 cases per 10,000 inhabitants, decreases with age until adolescence, and increases again with age until reaching 65 age. Among people over 85, the rate is 75 cases per 10,000 residents.
What is bacterial pneumonia?
pneumonia is an acute respiratory infection that affects the lungs.maybe it’s because Virus (Influenza, respiratory syncytial virus, rhinovirus, etc.), bacteria Or, as in this example, bacteria pneumococci.
due to infection, Inflammation of the lungs and accumulation of fluid or puswhich results in the following symptoms:
- chest pain While breathing or coughing.
- Cough with phlegm.
- feverHigh.
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Difficulty breathing.
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Nausea or vomiting.
We are talking about a serious infection whose Diagnosis is made by auscultation and chest X-ray..Although There is treatment To cure it, antibiotics, the fact is should be monitored very closely because it can produce Serious complications such as:
- bacteremia: Bacteria that cause pneumonia enter the bloodstream, putting other organs at risk.
- Severe respiratory failure.
- pleural effusion: Fluid buildup around the lungs.
- lung abscess. Pus forms in the lungs.
The importance of vaccination
To avoid pneumococcal infection and all the complications it may cause, Prevention is crucial.
Fortunately, in Spain, using pneumococcal conjugate vaccine Helps reduce the incidence of vaccine serotypes that cause invasive and non-invasive disease, both in vaccinated and unvaccinated children and in adults.
“thisVaccination Systemic action against pneumococci “For children, it represents a before-and-after comparison of reducing disease burden and the most severe cases”
as he explained Dr. Fernando Baquero MochalesResearch Professor in the Field of Microbiology and Microbial Evolution, Ramon Cajal Institute of Health (IRYCIS), Researcher, Group 33, Microbiology Service, Ramon Cajal Hospital, Biomedical Research Center of Epidemiology and Network Public Health (CIBERESP) :
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“The most vulnerable are children under 5 years of age, and especially children under 2 years of age.. “The development of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines represents a huge advance because they provide more robust long-term protection and target the nasopharynx in children, a major source of disease transmission.”
In addition to vaccines, experts point to other protective measures against Streptococcus pneumoniae, such as Hand hygiene and smoking cessation.
Cases increased last year
But despite these vaccines, the fact is Experts note an increase in cases between 2022 and 2023.
2020, the first year of the pandemic, saw a significant decrease in the number of cases Invasive pneumococcal disease In the under-2 age group, a return to pre-pandemic levels was observed in 2022, coinciding with the end of non-pharmacological measures.
In fact, between 2022 and 2023, Serotype 3 increased significantly in children and also became the predominant serotype in adults over 65 years of age.
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“Given the evolutionary characteristics of bacteria, Having a robust epidemiological surveillance system is essential “Assessing the most prevalent serotypes at any time enables the strategy to be modified by combining vaccines that best meet the needs of each moment,”