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.
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.
Researchers demonstrated heightened invasive pneumococcal disease incidence in children younger than 15 during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in England.
In a recent article posted to the medRxiv* preprint server, researchers in the United States analyzed the pneumococcal carriage in older adults in the Greater New Haven Area, United States (US), during the implementation of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) mitigation strategies.
Researchers emphasized the need to take on a holistic and unbiased approach to develop a universal vaccine for coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2, which is a biomedical priority during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
A new study discusses the necessity and role of pneumococcal immunization in strengthening the global health system amid the current COVID-19 pandemic.
Scientists from the UK and US have recently investigated immunological consequences of secondary Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae) infection in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients.
The map of Montana Kayla Irish pulls up is peppered with red circles, each cluster providing details behind one of today's timely topics - childhood vaccination.
As antibiotic use grows in lower-income countries so does antibiotic resistance, says report.
In a major public health success, the introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine PCV13, or Prevnar 13, in 2010 in the United States is associated with reduction in socioeconomic disparities and the near elimination of Black-white-based racial disparities for invasive pneumococcal disease.
In nearly half a million American homes, washing hands to prevent COVID-19 isn't as simple as soaping up and singing "Happy Birthday" twice while scrubbing.
New research has uncovered the risk factors for Fijians carrying a pneumonia-causing bacteria.
A new study published in the journal Archives of Diseases of Childhood in March 2020 reveals that despite a drop to less than half, compared to 25 years ago, infection is still a cause of significant mortality among children. The most common cause of infection-related deaths in this age group are respiratory infections.
Vaccines can be far more targeted and effective than they are today. A new method will allow us to develop new vaccines more cheaply and efficiently and perhaps get one step ahead of bacteria.
Blue Water Vaccines Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on creating transformative vaccines solving global health challenges, has entered into an exclusive worldwide license agreement for the development of a Streptococcus Pneumoniae vaccine with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, the nation's leading hospital dedicated to understanding, treating and curing childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases.
Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine have been highly effective in reducing pneumonia and other invasive infections caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria.
New research has found that rates of disease caused by the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae could be substantially reduced by changing our approach to vaccination.
Air pollution is a long-standing global problem, which is responsible for 7 million deaths each year, with 7 percent of these attributed to pneumonia. A new study highlights how air pollution affects the airways making the body susceptible to developing the pneumococcal disease.
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), one of the National Institutes of Health, today announced the establishment of the Infectious Diseases Clinical Research Consortium, a clinical trials network that will encompass the Institute's long-standing Vaccine and Treatment Evaluation Units (VTEUs) and create a new consortium leadership group
There have been repeated reports of outbreaks of “vaccine-preventable disease” or VPDs across United States over the past few years. A new research letter was published this week in the JAMA Pediatrics. It was titled, “Association of Vaccine-Preventable Disease Incidence With Proposed State Vaccine Exemption Legislation.”
Researchers have uncovered a crucial link between dietary zinc intake and protection against Streptococcus pneumoniae, the primary bacterial cause of pneumonia.