Nationwide Trends of Invasive Pneumococcal Disease in Spain From 2009 Through 2019 in Children and Adults During the Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine Era.

Background: Introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) has reduced the disease caused by vaccine serotypes in children, providing herd protection to adults. However, the emergence of nonvaccine serotypes is of great concern worldwide.

Methods: This study includes national laboratory data from invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) cases that affected pediatric and adult populations during 2009-2019.

Microbiologic workload and clinical significance of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolated during one week in Spain.

Most studies reporting Streptococcus pneumoniae (Sp) infections select either specific populations/diseases, or refer to a single or a low number of institutions. A nationwide point-prevalence study including 147 hospitals from which we collected all the isolates of Sp reported in a single week (February 16-22, 2004). Workload and clinical data were studied, and susceptibility testing and serotyping of all isolates were performed.

Streptococcus pneumoniae in children in Spain: 1990-1999.

Unlabelled: This study analyses the serogroups/types (SGTs) and resistance to penicillin and erythromycin of 3921 strains isolated from 1990 to 1999 in children aged 0-14 y in Spanish hospitals of all the autonomous communities. Based on the age of the children, strains have been divided into five groups: 0-6 mo, > 6-1 y, > 1-2 y, > 2-5 y and > 5 y. While only eight SGTs were responsible for 80% of the infections in children from 6 mo to 2 y of age, this number increased to 11 and 16 for the groups > 2-5 y and > 5-14 y, respectively.

Dot blot assay for the serotyping of pneumococci.

To simplify the serotyping of Streptococcus pneumoniae, a dot bot assay has been developed and compared with the standard quellung reaction in 1,082 isolates. The technique has been demonstrated to be sensitive, specific, easy to perform, and inexpensive. The dot blot assay could be useful when large numbers of pneumococci have to be studied.

Serotype distribution and antimicrobial resistance of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates causing systemic infections in Spain, 1979-1989.

Serotypes and antibiotic susceptibilities were determined for 2,197 Streptococcus pneumoniae strains isolated from patients with systemic infections over an 11-year period. The predominant serogroups and serotypes, in order of decreasing frequency, were 3, 6, 23, 19, 9, 1, 5, 8, 7, 14, 4, and 15; these types accounted for more than 75% of the strains studied. Altogether, 93% of the pneumococci belonged to groups or types included in the 23-valent pneumococcal vaccine.

Optochin-resistant variants of Streptococcus pneumoniae.

Ten Streptococcus pneumoniae clinical isolates, possessing physiologically typical pneumococcal characteristics, showed optochin-susceptible and optochin-resistant colonies around the optochin disk, when tested for optochin susceptibility. Equivocal optochin disk test results should be confirmed by bile solubility, agglutination tests, or both.