Pneumococcal Disease News and Research

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Pneumococcal disease describes a group of illnesses caused by the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae, also known as pneumococcus. This bacterial pathogen, which affects both children and adults, is a major cause of death and illness worldwide. In fact, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), pneumococcal disease is the number one vaccine-preventable cause of death in children younger than 5 years of age worldwide.

154 million lives saved: Landmark study highlights power of vaccination

A major landmark study to be published by The Lancet reveals that global immunization efforts have saved an estimated 154 million lives – or the equivalent of 6 lives every minute of every year – over the past 50 years.

25 Apr 2024

Study highlights impact of government vaccine recommendations and direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising

A new study co-authored by a University of Massachusetts Amherst economist reveals the value of government vaccine recommendations to drugmakers, as well as potential benefits of advertising pharmaceuticals directly to consumers -; a practice that is banned in every country apart from the United States and New Zealand.

13 Mar 2024

New study highlights the need for advanced pneumococcal vaccines in the wake of pre-COVID data

The risk factors associated with CAP caused by serotypes in the different pneumococcal vaccines.

14 Dec 2023

CDC recommendations for pneumococcal vaccine in adults

Updated recommendations from the CDC on the use of pneumococcal vaccines in adults in the United States.

12 Sep 2023

Current and future strategies for vaccinating against invasive pneumococcal disease

Researchers reviewed the immune mechanisms employed by existing vaccines for invasive pneumococcal disease.

23 Aug 2023

Prior vaccinations may help protect against Alzheimer's disease

Prior vaccination against tetanus and diphtheria, with or without pertussis (Tdap/Td); herpes zoster (HZ), better known as shingles; and pneumococcus are all associated with a reduced risk for developing Alzheimer's disease, according to new research from UTHealth Houston.

16 Aug 2023

Addressing the much-needed development of effective pneumococcal vaccination policies for long-term care settings

The International Federation on Ageing (IFA) is proud to release findings from a recent study entitled Driving the Agenda of Pneumococcal Pneumonia Vaccination in At-risk Populations in Community and Long-term Care.

29 Apr 2023

T cell-mediated recognition of conserved bacterial epitope generates broad immunity

Typically T cells of the immune system respond to a specific feature (antigen) of a microbe, thereby generating protective immunity.

25 Apr 2023

Study offers a novel therapeutic option to combat antibiotic-resistant pneumonia

Increases in multidrug-resistance in the bacteria Streptococcus pneumoniae have made it the fourth-leading cause of death associated with antibiotic resistance.

29 Mar 2023

Study suggests a novel strategy to combat multidrug-resistant S. pneumoniae infections

Pneumococcal disease leads to over three million hospitalizations and hundreds of thousands of deaths annually.

17 Mar 2023

Research highlights the importance of ventilation and air filtration to reduce pathogen transmission

Testing of ambient air can be used to monitor the community circulation of respiratory pathogens.

16 Mar 2023

Serious pneumococcal infection increases the risk of a heart attack significantly

After the onset of serious pneumococcal infections, patients are at a significantly increased risk of having a heart attack, according to a Vanderbilt study published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases.

2 Mar 2023

COVID-19 does not increase the risk of Streptococcus pneumoniae infection

SARS-CoV-2 infection does not appear to influence pneumococcal colonization in the upper respiratory tract.

28 Feb 2023

Study reveals how a subset of lung T regulatory cells protects against deadly pneumococcal disease

A new study by University of Liverpool researchers reveals how resistance to bacteraemic pneumonia is provided by a unique subset of lung T regulatory cells.

8 Feb 2023

Did COVID-19 mitigation measures in the United Kingdom impact the transmission of other infectious diseases?

Researchers explored the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic-associated non-pharmaceutical prevention measures on the transmission of 22 infectious diseases in England.

25 Oct 2022

The prevalence of pneumococcal carriage in Serbia during COVID

Scientists explore the prevalence of Streptococcus pneumoniae carriage during the COVID-19 pandemic in older adults.

17 Oct 2022

What is the association of pneumococcal carriage with SARS-CoV-2 infection?

Researchers explored the association between Streptococcus pneumoniae and SARS-CoV-2 in the upper respiratory tracts of COVID-19-positive individuals.

12 Oct 2022

New guidelines recommend earlier detection and treatment of pulmonary hypertension

Earlier detection of pulmonary hypertension in the community and expedited referral of high-risk or complex patients are recommended in the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and European Respiratory Society (ERS) Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary hypertension, published online today in European Heart Journal and the European Respiratory Journal.

26 Aug 2022

Genomic surveillance highlights the challenges posed by "shapeshifting" strains

A pioneering genomic surveillance study has provided the clearest picture yet of the arms race between Streptococcus pneumoniae, the bacterium responsible for a range of illnesses such as pneumonia and meningitis, and the vaccines designed to protect against the most dominant types. A strain called GPSC10 was found to be a particular threat, due to its increased virulence, ability to transform its structure to evade vaccines and its resistance to several common antibiotics.

17 Aug 2022

Invasive pneumococcal disease among children during the COVID-19 pandemic in England

Researchers demonstrated heightened invasive pneumococcal disease incidence in children younger than 15 during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in England.

14 Jul 2022