Unraveling the seasonal epidemiology of pneumococcus.

Infections caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae-including invasive pneumococcal diseases (IPDs)-remain a significant public health concern worldwide. The marked winter seasonality of IPDs is a striking, but still enigmatic aspect of pneumococcal epidemiology in nontropical climates. Here we confronted age-structured dynamic models of carriage transmission and disease with detailed IPD incidence data to test a range of hypotheses about the components and the mechanisms of pneumococcal seasonality. We find that seasonal variations in climate, influenza-like illnesses, and interindividual contacts jointly explain IPD seasonality. We show that both the carriage acquisition rate and the invasion rate vary seasonally, acting in concert to generate the marked seasonality typical of IPDs. We also find evidence that influenza-like illnesses increase the invasion rate in an age-specific manner, with a more pronounced effect in the elderly than in other demographics. Finally, we quantify the potential impact of seasonally timed interventions, a type of control measures that exploit pneumococcal seasonality to help reduce IPDs. Our findings shed light on the epidemiology of pneumococcus and may have notable implications for the control of pneumococcal infections.

First cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in France: surveillance, investigations and control measures, January 2020.

A novel coronavirus (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, SARS-CoV-2) causing a cluster of respiratory infections (coronavirus disease 2019, COVID-19) in Wuhan, China, was identified on 7 January 2020. The epidemic quickly disseminated from Wuhan and as at 12 February 2020, 45,179 cases have been confirmed in 25 countries, including 1,116 deaths. Strengthened surveillance was implemented in France on 10 January 2020 in order to identify imported cases early and prevent secondary transmission. Three categories of risk exposure and follow-up procedure were defined for contacts. Three cases of COVID-19 were confirmed on 24 January, the first cases in Europe. Contact tracing was immediately initiated. Five contacts were evaluated as at low risk of exposure and 18 at moderate/high risk. As at 12 February 2020, two cases have been discharged and the third one remains symptomatic with a persistent cough, and no secondary transmission has been identified. Effective collaboration between all parties involved in the surveillance and response to emerging threats is required to detect imported cases early and to implement adequate control measures.

High impact of COVID-19 in long-term care facilities, suggestion for monitoring in the EU/EEA, May 2020.

Residents in long-term care facilities (LTCF) are a vulnerable population group. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19)-related deaths in LTCF residents represent 30-60% of all COVID-19 deaths in many European countries. This situation demands that countries implement local and national testing, infection prevention and control, and monitoring programmes for COVID-19 in LTCF in order to identify clusters early, decrease the spread within and between facilities and reduce the size and severity of outbreaks.

Invasive group A streptococcal disease in pregnant women and young children: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of invasive disease caused by group A streptococcus (GAS) has increased in multiple countries in the past 15 years. However, despite these reports, to the best of our knowledge, no systematic reviews and combined estimates of the incidence of invasive GAS have been done in key high-risk groups. To address this, we estimated the incidence of invasive GAS disease, including death and disability outcomes, among two high-risk groups-namely, pregnant women and children younger than 5 years. METHODS: We did a systematic review and meta-analyses on invasive GAS outcomes, including incidence, case fatality risks, and neurodevelopmental impairment risk, among pregnant women, neonates (younger than 28 days), infants (younger than 1 year), and children (younger than 5 years) worldwide and by income region. We searched several databases for articles published from Jan 1, 2000, to June 3, 2020, for publications that reported invasive GAS outcomes, and we sought unpublished data from an investigator group of collaborators. We included studies with data on invasive GAS cases, defined as laboratory isolation of Streptococcus pyogenes from any normally sterile site, or isolation of S pyogenes from a non-sterile site in a patient with necrotising fasciitis or streptococcal toxic shock syndrome. For inclusion in pooled incidence estimates, studies had to report a population denominator, and for inclusion in pooled estimates of case fatality risk, studies had to report aggregate data on the outcome of interest and the total number of cases included as a denominator. We excluded studies focusing on groups at very high risk (eg, only preterm infants). We assessed heterogeneity with I2. FINDINGS: Of the 950 published articles and 29 unpublished datasets identified, 20 studies (seven unpublished; 3829 cases of invasive GAS) from 12 countries provided sufficient data to be included in pooled estimates of outcomes. We did not identify studies reporting invasive GAS incidence among pregnant women in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) nor any reporting neurodevelopmental impairment after invasive GAS in LMICs. In nine studies from high-income countries (HICs) that reported invasive GAS in pregnancy and the post-partum period, invasive GAS incidence was 0·12 per 1000 livebirths (95% CI 0·11 to 0·14; I2=100%). Invasive GAS incidence was 0·04 per 1000 livebirths (0·03 to 0·05; I2=100%; 11 studies) for neonates, 0·13 per 1000 livebirths (0·10 to 0·16; I2=100%; ten studies) for infants, and 0·09 per 1000 person-years (95% CI 0·07 to 0·10; I2=100%; nine studies) for children worldwide; 0·12 per 1000 livebirths (95% CI 0·00 to 0·24; I2=100%; three studies) in neonates, 0·33 per 1000 livebirths (-0·22 to 0·88; I2=100%; two studies) in infants, and 0·22 per 1000 person-years (0·13 to 0·31; I2=100%; two studies) in children in LMICs; and 0·02 per 1000 livebirths (0·00 to 0·03; I2=100%; eight studies) in neonates, 0·08 per 1000 livebirths (0·05 to 0·11; I2=100%; eight studies) in infants, and 0·05 per 1000 person-years (0·03 to 0·06; I2=100%; seven studies) in children for HICs. Case fatality risks were high, particularly among neonates in LMICs (61% [95% CI 33 to 89]; I2=54%; two studies). INTERPRETATION: We found a substantial burden of invasive GAS among young children. In LMICs, little data were available for neonates and children and no data were available for pregnant women. Incidences of invasive GAS are likely to be underestimates, particularly in LMICs, due to low GAS surveillance. It is essential to improve available data to inform development of prevention and management strategies for invasive GAS. FUNDING: Wellcome Trust.

Coronavirus Disease 2019 in French Residential Care Facilities: A Nationwide Study.

OBJECTIVES: The Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused a considerable mortality in long-term care facilities (LTCFs), including residential care setting and nursing homes. This study aimed to estimate COVID-19 incidence and mortality in residential care facilities and to compare them with those recorded in nursing homes. DESIGN: Nationwide observational study conducted by French health authorities. SETTINGS AND PARTICIPANTS: Since March 1, 2020, all LTCFs in France reported all COVID-19 cases and COVID-19-related deaths among their residents. METHODS: Possible cases were those with COVID-19-related symptoms without laboratory confirmation and confirmed cases those with a reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction test or serology positive for SARS-CoV-2. We included facilities with at least 1 confirmed case of COVID-19 and estimated the cumulative incidence of COVID-19 cases and mortality due to COVID-19 reported until June 30, 2020, using the maximum bed capacity as a denominator. RESULTS: Of the 2288 residential care facilities, 310 (14%) and, of the 7688 nursing homes, 3110 (40%) reported COVID-19 cases among residents (P < .001). The cumulative incidence of COVID-19 was significantly lower in residential care facilities as compared with nursing homes (1.10 vs 9.97 per 100 beds, P < .001). Mortality due to COVID-19 was also lower in residential care facilities compared with nursing homes (0.07 vs 1.29 per 100 beds, P < .001). Case fatality was lower in residential care facilities (6.49% vs 12.93%, P < .001). CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS: French residential care facilities experienced a much lower burden from COVID-19 than nursing homes. Our findings may inform the implementation of better infection control practices in these settings.

Invasive pneumococcal disease incidence in children and adults in France during the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine era: an interrupted time-series analysis of data from a 17-year national prospective surveillance study.

BACKGROUND: The long-term benefits of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) remain unknown because of serotype replacement. We aimed to estimate the effect of PCV implementation on invasive pneumococcal disease incidence in France. METHODS: We did a quasi-experimental interrupted time-series analysis using data from a French national prospective surveillance system. We included all invasive pneumococcal disease cases in children and adults from more than 250 participating hospitals between Jan 1, 2001, and Dec 31, 2017. The primary outcome was incidence of invasive pneumococcal disease (meningitis and non-meningitis) over time, analysed by segmented regression with autoregressive error. Isolates were serotyped by latex agglutination with antiserum samples. FINDINGS: We included 75 903 patients with invasive pneumococcal disease, including 4302 (5·7%) children younger than 2 years and 37 534 (49·4%) adults aged 65 years or older. Before PCV7 implementation, the estimated monthly incidence of invasive pneumococcal disease was 0·78 cases per 100 000 inhabitants, which did not change significantly up to May, 2010. PCV13 implementation in 2010 was followed by a significant decrease in the incidence of invasive pneumococcal disease (-1·5% per month, 95% CI -2·2 to -0·8), reaching an estimated monthly incidence of 0·52 cases per 100 000 inhabitants in December, 2014. From January, 2015, the incidence rebounded (1·8% per month, 95% CI 1·0 to 2·6), reaching an estimated monthly incidence of 0·73 cases per 100 000 inhabitants in December, 2017. The estimated monthly incidence increased from 0·93 cases per 100 000 in December, 2014, to 1·73 cases per 100 000 in December, 2017, for children younger than 2 years, and from 1·54 cases per 100 000 in December, 2014, to 2·08 cases per 100 000 in December, 2017, for adults aged 65 years or older. The main non-PCV13 serotypes involved in the increase were 24F in young children and 12F, 22F, 9N, and 8 in adults aged 65 years or older. INTERPRETATION: PCV13 implementation led to a major reduction in the incidence of invasive pneumococcal disease. However, a rebound in cases among children and adults since 2015, driven by several emerging non-PCV13 serotypes, jeopardises the long-term PCV benefits. These findings, if confirmed in the coming years, should be considered in the development of next-generation PCVs and might guide policy makers in the selection of future pneumococcal vaccines. FUNDING: Foundation for Medical Research; Pfizer, BioMérieux, Sanofi for the Regional Observatory of Pneumococci.

[Epidemiology of bacterial meningitis in France in 2002]. / Epidémiologie des méningites bactériennes en France en 2002.

In France, two sources of data, the mandatory notification and the hospital laboratory network EPIBAC, allow the health authorities to monitor the incidence of bacterial meningitis. In 2002 around 1,500 cases were estimated in France. The more common microorganisms were: Streptococcus pneumoniae 49% (incidence 1.19/100,000), Neisseria meningitidis 33% (incidence 0.83) and Streptococcus agalactiae (Streptococcus B) 11% (incidence 0.27). Listeria monocytogenes accounted for 4% of the cases (incidence 0.11) and Haemophilus influenzae accounted for 3% (incidence 0.08). Trends in incidence showed an increase of meningococci meningitis since 1996, a steady decrease of H. influenzae and Listeria meningitis since 1992, and a quasi stable number of pneumococci meningitis, streptococci B meningitis and tuberculosis meningitis in the last 10 years. The impact of preventive measures on the incidence of Listeria meningitis and H. influenzae b meningitis has been clearly demonstrated through the dramatic decrease of meningitis due to these microorganisms.