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A Mouse Model for the Transition of Streptococcus pneumoniae from Colonizer to Pathogen upon Viral Co-Infection Recapitulates Age-Exacerbated Illness
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Virus-Induced Changes of the Respiratory Tract Environment Promote Secondary Infections With Streptococcus pneumoniae

Vicky Sender1, Karina Hentrich1, Birgitta Henriques-Normark1,2

  • 1Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.

Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology
|April 8, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Secondary bacterial infections, particularly Streptococcus pneumoniae after influenza, worsen disease. This review explores pneumococcal adaptation to the influenza-modified host environment and discusses COVID-19 coinfection strategies.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Immunology
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Secondary bacterial infections significantly increase influenza disease severity.
  • Streptococcus pneumoniae is a key pathogen in viral-bacterial synergism.
  • Complex host-pathogen interactions underlie these coinfections.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To discuss mechanisms of secondary pneumococcal infection pathogenesis after influenza.
  • To focus on pneumococcal sensing and adaptation in an influenza-modified host.
  • To summarize coinfection relevance to COVID-19 and suggest improved strategies.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on influenza-pneumococcal interactions.
  • Analysis of pathogen adaptation mechanisms.
  • Discussion of host immune responses.

Main Results:

  • Influenza infection alters the host environment, facilitating pneumococcal growth and virulence.
  • Pneumococci possess mechanisms to sense and adapt to influenza-induced host changes.
  • Understanding these interactions is crucial for managing coinfections.

Conclusions:

  • Effective strategies are needed to prevent and treat secondary bacterial infections following viral illnesses like influenza and COVID-19.
  • Further research into host-pathogen interactions can guide therapeutic development.
  • Improving prevention and treatment of viral-bacterial coinfections is a public health priority.
Keywords:
COVID-19Streptococcus pneumoniaecoinfectioninfluenza virusinfluenza-pneumococcal coinfectionpneumococcirespiratory tract infections

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