Multicountry Review of Streptococcus pneumoniae Serotype Distribution Among Adults With Community-Acquired Pneumonia.

BACKGROUND: Nonbacteremic community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a leading presentation of severe pneumococcal disease in adults. Serotype-specific urinary antigen detection (UAD) assay can detect serotypes causing pneumococcal CAP, including nonbacteremic cases, and guide recommendations for use of higher valency pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs). METHODS: Adult CAP serotype distribution studies that used both Pfizer UADs (UAD1, detects PCV13 serotypes; UAD2, detects PCV20 non-PCV13 serotypes plus 2, 9N, 17F, and 20) were identified by review of an internal study database and included if results were published. The percentages of all-cause radiologically confirmed CAP (RAD + CAP) due to individual or grouped (PCV13, PCV15, and PCV20) serotypes as detected from culture or UAD were reported. RESULTS: Six studies (n = 2, United States; n = 1 each, Germany, Sweden, Spain, and Greece) were included. The percentage of RAD + CAP among adults ≥18 years with PCV13 serotypes equaled 4.6% to 12.9%, with PCV15 serotypes 5.9% to 14.5%, and with PCV20 serotypes 7.8% to 23.8%. The percentage of RAD + CAP due to PCV15 and PCV20 serotypes was 1.1-1.3 and 1.3-1.8 times higher than PCV13 serotypes, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: PCV13 serotypes remain a cause of RAD + CAP among adults even in settings with pediatric PCV use. Higher valency PCVs among adults could address an important proportion of RAD + CAP in this population.

Effect of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines on viral respiratory infections: a systematic literature review.

BACKGROUND: In addition to preventing pneumococcal disease, emerging evidence indicates that pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) might indirectly reduce viral respiratory tract infections (RTI) by affecting pneumococcal-viral interactions. METHODS: We performed a systematic review of interventional and observational studies published during 2000-2022 on vaccine efficacy/adjusted effectiveness (VE) and overall effect of PCV7, PCV9, PCV10, or PCV13 against viral RTI. RESULTS: Sixteen of 1671 records identified were included. Thirteen publications described effects of PCVs against viral RTIs in children. VE against influenza ranged between 41-86% (n=4), except for the 2010-2011 influenza season. In a randomized controlled trial, PCV9 displayed efficacy against any viral RTI, human seasonal coronavirus, parainfluenza, and human metapneumovirus. Data in adults were limited (n=3). PCV13 VE ranged between 4-25% against viral lower RTI, 32-35% against COVID-19 outcomes, 24-51% against human seasonal coronavirus, and 13-36% against influenza A lower RTI, with some 95%CI spanning zero. No protection was found against adenovirus or rhinovirus in children or adults. CONCLUSIONS: PCVs were associated with protection against some viral RTI, with the strongest evidence for influenza in children. Limited evidence for adults was generally consistent with pediatric data. Restricting public health evaluations to confirmed pneumococcal outcomes may underestimate the full impact of PCVs.

Distribution of Serotypes Causing Invasive Pneumococcal Disease in Children From High-Income Countries and the Impact of Pediatric Pneumococcal Vaccination.

BACKGROUND: The introduction and adoption of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) into pediatric national immunization programs (NIPs) has led to large decreases in invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) incidence caused by vaccine serotypes. Despite these reductions, the global IPD burden in children remains significant. METHODS: We collected serotype-specific IPD data from surveillance systems or hospital networks of all 30 high-income countries that met inclusion criteria. Data sources included online databases, surveillance system reports, and peer-reviewed literature. Percentage of serotyped cases covered were calculated for all countries combined and by PCV type in the pediatric NIP. RESULTS: We identified 8012 serotyped IPD cases in children <5 or ≤5 years old. PCV13 serotype IPD caused 37.4% of total IPD cases, including 57.1% and 25.2% for countries with PCV10 or PCV13 in the pediatric NIP, respectively, most commonly due to serotypes 3 and 19A (11.4% and 13.3%, respectively, across all countries). In PCV10 countries, PCV15 and PCV20 would cover an additional 45.1% and 55.6% of IPD beyond serotypes contained in PCV10, largely due to coverage of serotype 19A. In PCV13 countries, PCV15 and PCV20 would cover an additional 10.6% and 38.2% of IPD beyond serotypes contained in PCV13. The most common IPD serotypes covered by higher valency PCVs were 10A (5.2%), 12F (5.1%), and 22F and 33F (3.5% each). CONCLUSIONS: Much of the remaining IPD burden is due to serotypes included in PCV15 and PCV20. The inclusion of these next generation PCVs into existing pediatric NIPs may further reduce the incidence of childhood IPD.

Human Infection Challenge with Serotype 3 Pneumococcus.

Rationale: Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 3 (SPN3) is a cause of invasive pneumococcal disease and associated with low carriage rates. Following the introduction of pediatric 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) programs, SPN3 declines are less than other vaccine serotypes and incidence has increased in some populations coincident with a shift in predominant circulating SPN3 clade, from I to II. A human challenge model provides an effective means for assessing the impact of PCV13 on SPN3 in the upper airway. Objectives: To establish SPN3's ability to colonize the nasopharynx using different inoculum clades and doses, and the safety of an SPN3 challenge model. Methods: In a human challenge study involving three well-characterized and antibiotic-sensitive SPN3 isolates (PFESP306 [clade Ia], PFESP231 [no clade], and PFESP505 [clade II]), inoculum doses (10,000, 20,000, 80,000, and 160,000 cfu/100 µl) were escalated until maximal colonization rates were achieved, with concurrent acceptable safety. Measurement and Main Results: Presence and density of experimental SPN3 nasopharyngeal colonization in nasal wash samples, assessed using microbiological culture and molecular methods, on Days 2, 7, and 14 postinoculation. A total of 96 healthy participants (median age 21, interquartile range 19-25) were inoculated (n = 6-10 per dose group, 10 groups). Colonization rates ranged from 30.0-70.0% varying with dose and isolate. 30.0% (29/96) reported mild symptoms (82.8% [24/29] developed a sore throat); one developed otitis media requiring antibiotics. No serious adverse events occurred. Conclusions: An SPN3 human challenge model is feasible and safe with comparable carriage rates to an established Serotype 6B human challenge model. SPN3 carriage may cause mild upper respiratory symptoms.

Early versus late onset bloodstream infection during neutropenia after high-dose chemotherapy for hematologic malignancy.

PURPOSE: The length of neutropenia has a significant impact on the incidence of bloodstream infection (BSI) in cancer patients, but limited information is available about the pathogen distribution in late BSI. METHODS: Between 2002 and 2014, BSI episodes in patients with neutropenia receiving chemotherapy for hematologic malignancies were prospectively identified by multicenter, active surveillance in Germany, Switzerland and Austria. The incidence of first BSI episodes, their microbiology and time to BSI onset during the first episode of neutropenia of 15,988 patients are described. RESULTS: The incidence rate of BSI episodes was 14.7, 8.7, and 4.7 per 1000 patient-days in the first, second, and third week of neutropenia, respectively. BSI developed after a median of 5 days of neutropenia (interquartile range [IQR] 3-10 days). The medium duration of neutropenia to BSI onset was 4 days in Escherichia coli (IQR 3-7 days), Klebsiella spp. (2-8 days), and Staphylococcus aureus (3-6 days). In contrast, BSI due to Enterococcus faecium occurred after a median of 9 days (IQR 6-14 days; p < 0.001 vs. other BSI). Late onset of BSI (occurring after the first week of neutropenia) was also observed for Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (12 days, IQR 7-17 days; p < 0.001), and non-albicans Candida spp. (13 days, IQR 8-19 days; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Over the course of neutropenia, the proportion of difficult to treat pathogens such as E. faecium, S. maltophilia, and Candida spp. increased. Among other factors, prior duration of neutropenia may help to guide empiric antimicrobial treatment in febrile neutropenia.

Contribution of specific pathogens to bloodstream infection mortality in neutropenic patients with hematologic malignancies: Results from a multicentric surveillance cohort study.

Bloodstream infection (BSI) remains a serious complication in patients with hematologic malignancies and neutropenia. The risk factors for mortality after BSI and the contributions of BSI pathogens to mortality remain incompletely understood. We evaluated first BSI among adult neutropenic patients undergoing high-dose chemotherapy for hematologic malignancies in the setting of (a) an early disease stage of autologous (auto-HSCT) or allogeneic (allo-HSCT) hematopoietic stem cell transplantation or (b) for acute leukemia. Risk factors for intensive care admission and all-cause mortality were analyzed by multivariable logistic regression 7 and 30 days after onset of the first BSI in the first neutropenic episode. Between 2002 and 2015, 9080 patients met the study inclusion criteria, and 1424 (16%) developed BSIs, most of them during the first week of neutropenia. Mortality during neutropenia within 7 days and 30 days after BSI onset was 2.5% and 5.1%, respectively, and differed considerably between BSI pathogens. Both 7-day and 30-day mortalities were highest for Pseudomonas aeruginosa BSI (16.7% and 26.7%, respectively) and lowest for BSI due to coagulase-negative Staphylococcus spp. (CoNS) and Streptococcus spp. BSI pathogens were independently associated with 7-day mortality included P aeruginosa, Klebsiella spp., Enterobacter spp., Serratia spp., and enterococci. Only gram-negative BSI and candidemia were associated with admission to intensive care within 7 days after BSI onset. BSI caused by P aeruginosa continues to carry a particularly poor prognosis in neutropenic patients. The unexpected association between enterococcal BSI and increased mortality needs further study.

Burden of community-acquired pneumonia, predisposing factors and health-care related costs in patients with cancer.

BACKGROUND: Data on the burden of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and health-care related costs in patients with cancer is scarce. We aimed to estimate the CAP incidence rate, mortality, and healthcare-related costs of CAP patients with different cancer subtypes in Germany. METHODS: We used German health claims data of a representative sample of 4 million subjects to conduct cohort studies in patients with a new diagnosis of lung, hematological, breast, gastro-intestinal tract and renal/urinary-tract cancer and a comparator cohort without cancer between 2011 and 2015. CAP cases were identified in both the hospital and ambulatory care setting. Crude and age- and sex-standardized incidence rates (sIR) of CAP and mortality after CAP were calculated. To compare the health care-related costs of cancer patients with and without a diagnosis of CAP, a propensity-score (PS) matched control group was created. RESULTS: The study population comprised of 89,007 patients with cancer. In lung cancer patients, the sIR was increased 21-fold compared to the control cohort. For the other cancer subtypes, the sIR was increased 4.3-fold (hematological malignancies) to 1.7-fold (breast cancer) compared to the control cohort. The 30-day mortality in CAP cases was highest in lung cancer patients with 20.0% and ranged from 7.2 to 18.5% in CAP cases with other cancer subtypes. The highest costs were observed in CAP cases with hematological malignancies with 28,969 € (SD 37,142 €) and the lowest in patients with renal/urinary tract cancer with 17,432 € (SD 19,579 €). The absolute difference in the mean overall costs between CAP cases and controls without CAP ranged from 4,111€ to 9,826€, depending on the cancer type. CAP-related costs were predominantly triggered by substantially elevated hospital costs in CAP cases. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence rate of CAP and related mortality is high in patients with cancer with strong variations by cancer subtype. Furthermore, CAP in cancer patients is associated with substantial direct excess costs.

Overwhelming Postsplenectomy Infection: A Prospective Multicenter Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Recent population-based cohort studies have questioned the role of pneumococci as the most frequent pathogen causing severe infection in patients after splenectomy. The aim of the study was to define the causative pathogens and clinical presentation of patients with overwhelming postsplenectomy infection (OPSI). METHODS: In a prospective cohort study in 173 German intensive care units, we searched for patients with and without asplenia and community-acquired severe sepsis/septic shock. Clinical and laboratory variables and survival of patients were assessed. RESULTS: Fifty-two patients with severe sepsis or septic shock with asplenia and 52 without asplenia were included. OPSI patients more often had a history of malignancy (38% vs 17%; P = .016) and had a lower body mass index (24 kg/m(2) vs 28 kg/m(2); P = .004). Streptococcus pneumoniae was detected more frequently in OPSI patients (42% vs 12% without asplenia; P < .001) and more frequently manifested as bloodstream infection (31% vs 6%; P = .002). Gram-negative infection was similar in both groups (12% vs 19%; P = .157). Pneumococcal vaccine coverage of OPSI patients was low overall (42% vs 8% among patients without asplenia; P < .001). Purpura fulminans was a frequent complication, developing in 19% of OPSI patients vs 5% of patients without asplenia (P = .038). The interval between splenectomy and OPSI was 6 years (range, 1 month-50 years). On multivariable Poisson regression, asplenia was the only predictive variable independently associated with pneumococcal sepsis (adjusted relative risk, 2.53 [95% confidence interval, 1.06-6.08]). CONCLUSIONS: Pneumococcal infections remain the most important cause of severe sepsis and septic shock following splenectomy.

Best Practices for Identifying Hospitalized Lower Respiratory Tract Infections Using Administrative Data: A Systematic Literature Review of Validation Studies.

INTRODUCTION: Estimating the burden of lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) increasingly relies on administrative databases using International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes, but no standard methodology exists. We defined best practices for ICD-based algorithms that estimate LRTI incidence in adults. METHODS: We conducted a systematic review of validation studies assessing the use of ICD code-based algorithms to identify hospitalized LRTIs in adults, published in Medline, EMBASE, and LILACS between January 1996 and January 2022, according to PRISMA guidelines. We assessed sensitivity, specificity, and other accuracy measures of different algorithms. RESULTS: We included 26 publications that used a variety of ICD code-based algorithms and gold standard criteria, and 18 reported sensitivity and/or specificity. Sensitivity was below 80% in 72% (38/53) of algorithms and specificity exceeded 90% in 77% (37/48). Algorithms for all-cause LRTI (n = 18) that included only pneumonia codes in primary position (n = 3) had specificity greater than 90% but low sensitivity (55-72%). Sensitivity increased by 5-15%, with minimal loss in specificity, with the addition of primary codes for severe pneumonia (e.g. sepsis) while pneumonia codes were in secondary position, and by 13% with codes from LRTI-related infections (e.g. viral) or other respiratory diseases (e.g. empyema). Sensitivity increased by 8% when pneumonia codes were in any position, but specificity was not reported. In hospital-acquired pneumonia and pneumococcal-specific pneumonia, algorithms containing only nosocomial- or pathogen-specific ICD codes had poor sensitivity, which improved when broader pneumonia codes were added, in particular codes for unspecified organisms. CONCLUSION: Our systematic review highlights that most ICD code-based algorithms are relatively specific, but miss a substantial number of hospitalized LRTI adult cases. Best practices to estimate LRTI incidence in this population include the use of all pneumonia ICD codes for any LRTI outcome and, to a lesser extent, those for other LRTI-related infections or respiratory diseases.

Effects of PCV10 and PCV13 on pneumococcal serotype 6C disease, carriage, and antimicrobial resistance.

BACKGROUND: The cross-protection of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCV) against serotype 6C is not clearly documented, although 6C represents a substantial burden of pneumococcal disease in recent years. A systematic review by the World Health Organization that covered studies through 2016 concluded that available data were insufficient to determine if either PCV10 (which contains serotype 6B but not 6A) or PCV13 (containing serotype 6A and 6B) conferred protection against 6C. METHODS: We performed a systematic review of randomized controlled trials and observational studies published between January 2010 - August 2022 (Medline/Embase), covering the direct, indirect, and overall effect of PCV10 and PCV13 against 6C invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD), non-IPD, nasopharyngeal carriage (NPC), and antimicrobial resistance (AMR). RESULTS: Of 2548 publications identified, 112 were included. Direct vaccine effectiveness against 6C IPD in children ranged between 70 and 85 % for ≥ 1 dose PCV13 (n = 3 studies), was 94 % in fully PCV13 vaccinated children (n = 2), and -14 % for ≥ 1 dose of PCV10 (n = 1). Compared to PCV7, PCV13 efficacy against 6C NPC in children was 66 % (n = 1). Serotype 6C IPD rates or NPC prevalence declined post-PCV13 in most studies in children (n = 5/6) and almost half of studies in adults (n = 5/11), while it increased post-PCV10 for IPD and non-IPD in all studies (n = 6/6). Changes in AMR prevalence were inconsistent. CONCLUSIONS: In contrast to PCV10, PCV13 vaccination consistently protected against 6C IPD and NPC in children, and provided some level of indirect protection to adults, supporting that serotype 6A but not 6B provides cross-protection to 6C. Vaccine policy makers and regulators should consider the effects of serotype 6A-containing PCVs against serotype 6C disease in their decisions.

Surveillance of pneumococcal serotypes in adults hospitalised with acute lower respiratory tract infection in Bristol, UK.

INTRODUCTION: Pneumococcus remains a major cause of adult lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI). Few data exist on the relative contribution of serotypes included in pneumococcal vaccines to community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and non-pneumonic (NP) LRTI. We measured the burden of all and vaccine-serotype pneumococcal respiratory infection following SARS-CoV-2 emergence to inform evidence-based vaccination policy. METHODS: A prospective cohort study at two Bristol hospitals (UK) including all adults age ≥ 18-years hospitalised with acute lower respiratory tract disease (aLRTD) from Nov2021-Nov2022. LRTI patients were classified as: a) radiographically-confirmed CAP (CAP+/RAD+), b) clinically-diagnosed CAP without radiological confirmation (CAP+/RAD-), or c) NP-LRTI. Pneumococcus was identified by blood culture, BinaxNOW™and serotype-specific urine antigen detection assays (UAD). RESULTS: Of 12,083 aLRTD admissions, 10,026 had LRTI and 2,445 provided urine: 1,097 CAP + RAD+; 207 CAP + RAD-; and 1,141 NP-LRTI. Median age was 71.1y (IQR57.9-80.2) and Charlson comorbidity index = 4 (IQR2-5); 2.7 % of patients required intensive care, and 4.4 % died within 30-days of hospitalisation. Pneumococcus was detected in 280/2445 (11.5 %) participants. Among adults aged ≥ 65y and 18-64y, 12.9 % (198/1534) and 9.0 % (82/911), respectively, tested pneumococcus positive. We identified pneumococcus in 165/1097 (15.0 %) CAP + RAD+, 23/207 (11.1 %) CAP + RAD-, and 92/1141 (8.1 %) NP-LRTI cases. Of the 280 pneumococcal cases, 102 (36.4 %) were due to serotypes included in PCV13 + 6C, 115 (41.7 %) in PCV15 + 6C, 210 (75.0 %) in PCV20 + 6C/15C and 228 (81.4 %) in PPV23 + 15C. The most frequently identified serotypes were 8 (n = 78; 27.9 % of all pneumococcus), 7F (n = 25; 8.9 %), and 3 (n = 24; 8.6 %). DISCUSSION: Among adults hospitalised with respiratory infection, pneumococcus is an important pathogen across all subgroups, including CAP+/RAD- and NP-LRTI. Despite 20-years of PPV23 use in adults ≥ 65-years and herd protection due to 17-years of PCV use in infants, vaccine-serotype pneumococcal disease still causes a significant proportion of LRTI adult hospitalizations. Direct adult vaccination with high-valency PCVs may reduce pneumococcal disease burden.

Secondary cell wall polymers of Enterococcus faecalis are critical for resistance to complement activation via mannose-binding lectin.

The complement system is part of our first line of defense against invading pathogens. The strategies used by Enterococcus faecalis to evade recognition by human complement are incompletely understood. In this study, we identified an insertional mutant of the wall teichoic acid (WTA) synthesis gene tagB in E. faecalis V583 that exhibited an increased susceptibility to complement-mediated killing by neutrophils. Further analysis revealed that increased killing of the mutant was due to a higher rate of phagocytosis by neutrophils, which correlated with higher C3b deposition on the bacterial surface. Our studies indicated that complement activation via the lectin pathway was much stronger on the tagB mutant compared with wild type. In concordance, we found an increased binding of the key lectin pathway components mannose-binding lectin and mannose-binding lectin-associated serine protease-2 (MASP-2) on the mutant. To understand the mechanism of lectin pathway inhibition by E. faecalis, we purified and characterized cell wall carbohydrates of E. faecalis wild type and V583ΔtagB. NMR analysis revealed that the mutant strain lacked two WTAs with a repeating unit of →6)[α-l-Rhap-(1→3)]ß-D-GalpNAc-(1→5)-Rbo-1-P and →6) ß-D-Glcp-(1→3) [α-D-Glcp-(1→4)]-ß-D-GalpNAc-(1→5)-Rbo-1-P→, respectively (Rbo, ribitol). In addition, compositional changes in the enterococcal rhamnopolysaccharide were noticed. Our study indicates that in E. faecalis, modification of peptidoglycan by secondary cell wall polymers is critical to evade recognition by the complement system.

Prolonged polyarthralgia in a German traveller with Mayaro virus infection without inflammatory correlates.

BACKGROUND: Mayaro virus is endemic in South America and sporadic outbreaks have been described. It causes a dengue-like febrile illness accompanied by severe and long-lasting polyarthralgias. Outside endemic regions, however, the disease is not well known and can be misdiagnosed as dengue. International travellers are at risk to acquire Mayaro virus and due to increased worldwide travel infectious disease specialists need to be aware of such rare clinical entities. CASE PRESENTATION: We report the first Mayaro virus infection imported into Germany. A 20-year-old woman developed fever, myalgia, maculopapular rash, and polyarthralgias following a 10-day trip in the Rurrenabaque region of Bolivia. Severe polyarthralgias persisted for 5 months and were treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Serological analysis demonstrated Mayaro virus-specific-IgM and -IgG antibodies two months after onset of symptoms. Except for CXCL8/IL-8 other proinflammatory chemokines and cytokines were unremarkable at this time. CONCLUSIONS: Dissemination of knowledge on rare disease might improve patient management. Understanding the inherent features of Mayaro virus infection and how the virus interacts with its host are essential for optimal patient care and therapy.

Protection against Staphylococcus aureus by antibody to the polyglycerolphosphate backbone of heterologous lipoteichoic acid.

Type 1 lipoteichoic acid (LTA) is present in many clinically important gram-positive bacteria, including enterococci, streptococci, and staphylococci, and antibodies against LTA have been shown to opsonize nonencapsulated Enterococcus faecalis strains. In the present study, we show that antibodies against E. faecalis LTA also bind to type 1 LTA from other gram-positive species and opsonized Staphylocccus epidermidis and Staphylcoccus aureus strains as well as group B streptococci. Inhibition studies using teichoic acid oligomers indicated that cross-reactive opsonic antibodies bind to the teichoic acid backbone. Passive immunization with rabbit antibodies against E. faecalis LTA promoted the clearance of bacteremia by E. faecalis and S. epidermidis in mice. Furthermore, passive protection also reduced mortality in a murine S. aureus peritonitis model. The effectiveness of rabbit antibody against LTA suggests that this conserved bacterial structure could function as a single vaccine antigen that targets multiple gram-positive pathogens.

Effects of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines on reducing the risk of respiratory disease associated with coronavirus infection.

Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) provide protection against vaccine-type pneumococcal disease in both children and adults. Growing evidence suggests that PCVs also reduce pneumonia and lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) more broadly, including protecting against viral-associated respiratory diseases. In this short narrative review, we highlight clinical studies investigating whether PCVs might have a role in reducing coronavirus disease, both those caused by endemic human coronaviruses (HCoVs) and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). These studies include two randomized controlled trials assessing HCoV-associated pneumonia, one each in children and older adults, and two observational studies of PCV13 effectiveness against HCoV-associated LRTI and COVID-19 in adults. We discuss possible mechanisms for PCV protection including preventing viral pneumococcal co-infections and the possibility that pneumococci in the upper respiratory tract might modify the host immune response to SARS-CoV-2. Lastly, we identify knowledge gaps and further questions on the potential role of PCVs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mathematical modeling of pneumococcal transmission dynamics in response to PCV13 infant vaccination in Germany predicts increasing IPD burden due to serotypes included in next-generation PCVs.

INTRODUCTION: Two next-generation pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs), a 15- and a 20-valent PCV (PCV15 and PCV20), have recently been licensed for use in adults, and PCV15 has also been licensed in children. We developed a dynamic transmission model specific for Germany, with the aim to predict carriage prevalence and invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) burden for serotypes included in these vaccines. METHODS: The model allows to follow serotype distributions longitudinally both in the absence and presence of PCV vaccinations. We considered eight age cohorts and seven serotype groups according to the composition of different pneumococcal vaccines. This comprises the additional serotypes contained in PCV15 and PCV20 but not in PCV13. RESULTS: The model predicted that by continuing the current vaccine policy (standard vaccination with PCV13 in children and with PPSV23 in adults) until 2031, IPD case counts due to any serotype in children <2 years of age will remain unchanged. There will be a continuous decrease of IPD cases in adults aged 16-59y, but a 20% increase in adults ≥60y. Furthermore, there will be a steady decrease of the proportion of carriage and IPD due to serotypes included in PCV7 and PCV13 over the model horizon and a steady rise of non-PCV13 serotypes in carriage and IPD. The highest increase for both pneumococcal carriage and absolute IPD case counts was predicted for serotypes 22F and 33F (included in both PCV15 and PCV20) and serotypes 8, 10A, 11A, 12F, and 15B (included in PCV20 only), particularly in older adults. Between 2022 and 2031, serotypes included in PCV20 only are expected to cause 19.7-25.3% of IPD cases in adults ≥60y. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that introduction of next-generation PCVs for adults may prevent a substantial and increasing proportion of adult IPDs, with PCV20 having the potential to provide the broadest protection against pneumococcal disease.

Distribution of serotypes causing invasive pneumococcal disease in older adults from high-income countries and impact of pediatric and adult vaccination policies.

BACKGROUND: Neither indirect protection through use of 13-valent and 10-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCV13 and PCV10) in pediatric National Immunization Programs (NIPs) nor direct vaccination with the 23-valent polysaccharide vaccine have eliminated vaccine serotype invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) in older adults. Vaccinating older adults with higher-valency PCV15 and PCV20 could address remaining IPD due to pediatric PCV serotypes plus additional IPD due to serotypes included in these vaccines. METHODS: We collected serotype-specific IPD data in older adults (≥65 years in most countries), from national or regional surveillance systems or hospital networks of 33 high-income countries. Data were from official government websites, online databases, surveillance system reports, published literature, and personal communication with in-country investigators. Average percentages of IPD serotypes were calculated. RESULTS: Among 52,905 cases of IPD with a serotype identified, PCV13 serotypes accounted for 33.7% of IPD (55.8% and 30.6% for countries with PCV10 and PCV13 in the pediatric NIP), most commonly serotypes 3 (14.9%) and 19A (7.0%). PCV15 and PCV20 would cover an additional 10.4% and 32.9% of older adult IPD beyond PCV13 serotypes (PCV10 countries: 7.7% and 23.3%; PCV13 countries: 10.6% and 34.6%). The most common of these additional serotypes were 8 (9.9%), 22F (7.9%), 12F (4.6%), and 11A (3.3%). PPSV23 policies for older adults were not correlated with lower IPD percentages due to PPSV23 serotypes. CONCLUSIONS: Vaccinating older adults with higher-valency PCVs, especially PCV20, could substantially reduce the remaining IPD burden in high-income countries, regardless of current PCV use in pediatric NIPs and adult PPSV23 policies.

Streptococcus pneumoniae re-emerges as a cause of community-acquired pneumonia, including frequent co-infection with SARS-CoV-2, in Germany, 2021.

In Germany, the proportion of community-acquired pneumonia due to Streptococcus pneumoniae rebounded to a near-pandemic level in the second half of 2021. Vaccination uptake against respiratory pathogens, including S. pneumoniae, should be strengthened. https://bit.ly/3JMlwFt.