Factors associated with pneumococcal nasopharyngeal carriage: A systematic review

Pneumococcal disease is a major contributor to global childhood morbidity and mortality and is more common in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) than in high-income countries. Pneumococcal carriage is a prerequisite for pneumococcal disease. Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine reduces vaccine-type carriage and disease. However, pneumococcal carriage and disease persist, and it is important to identify other potentially modifiable factors associated with pneumococcal carriage and determine if risk factors differ between low, middle, and high-income countries. This information may help inform pneumococcal disease prevention programs. This systematic literature review describes factors associated with pneumococcal carriage stratified by country income status and summarises pneumococcal carriage rates for included studies. We undertook a systematic search of English-language pneumococcal nasopharyngeal carriage studies up to 30th June 2021. Peer-reviewed studies reporting factors associated with overall pneumococcal nasopharyngeal carriage in healthy, community-based study populations were eligible for inclusion. Two researchers independently reviewed studies to determine eligibility. Results are presented as narrative summaries. This review is registered with PROSPERO, CRD42020186914. Eighty-two studies were included, and 46 (56%) were conducted in LMICs. There was heterogeneity in the factors assessed in each study. Factors positively associated with pneumococcal carriage in all income classification were young age, ethnicity, symptoms of respiratory tract infection, childcare attendance, living with young children, poverty, exposure to smoke, season, and co-colonisation with other pathogens. Breastfeeding and antibiotic use were protective against carriage in all income classifications. Median (interquartile range) pneumococcal carriage rates differed by income classification, ranging from 51% (19.3-70.2%), 38.5% (19.3-51.6%), 31.5% (19.0-51.0%), 28.5% (16.8-35.4%), (P = 0.005) in low-, lower-middle, upper-middle, and high-income classifications, respectively. Our findings suggest that where measured, factors associated with pneumococcal nasopharyngeal carriage are similar across income classifications, despite the highest pneumococcal carriage rates being in low-income classifications. Reducing viral transmission through vaccination and public health interventions to address social determinants of health would play an important role.