Active surveillance of Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteremia in Italian children

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Infectious Diseases
• Bacteriology
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Limited data exist on Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteremia incidence in Italian children.
• Streptococcus pneumoniae (Sp) is a major cause of childhood bacterial infections globally.
• Understanding local epidemiology is crucial for effective prevention strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the incidence of Sp bacteremia in Italian children under five years of age.
• To identify prevalent Sp serotypes causing bacteremia in this age group.
• To assess the antimicrobial susceptibility of Sp isolates.

Main Methods:

• A 14-month prospective surveillance study was conducted across 10 pediatric hospitals.
• Blood cultures were analyzed for Sp identification.
• Serotype prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility testing were performed on isolates.

Main Results:

• An overall incidence rate of 1.2% for Sp bacteremia was observed (55 isolates from 4576 blood cultures).
• The most frequent serotypes were 14, 23F, 19F, 9V, and 1.
• Serotypes included in the 7-valent conjugate pneumococcal vaccine accounted for 70% of isolates in children under 2 years and 58% in those aged 2-5 years.

Conclusions:

• Sp bacteremia incidence in Italian children under five is relatively low but significant.
• The 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine covers a substantial proportion of causative serotypes in young children.
• Continued surveillance is necessary to monitor trends and vaccine effectiveness.