Pneumococcal Disease

Pneumococcal disease is caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, a bacteria that can attack different parts of the body. The bacteria can cause mild illnesses, such as ear and sinus infections, or more serious invasive infections that can be life-threatening. Invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) includes infections of the lungs (pneumonia), the bloodstream (bacteremia), and the covering of the brain (meningitis).

Anyone can get pneumococcal disease, but some persons have increased risk due to age or medical conditions.

Children aged 2 or younger and adults aged 65 years and older are at risk for pneumococcal disease.

In addition to age-related risk factors, those with certain medical conditions are at increased risk for pneumococcal disease, including:

• chronic heart, lung, or kidney disease
• nephrotic syndrome
  
• HIV, cancer, solid organ transplants, and other conditions or medications that weaken the immune system
  
• diabetes
  
• sickle cell disease
  
• having no spleen or a spleen that is damaged or not functioning
  
• those taking medications that weaken the immune system
  
• having a cerebrospinal fluid leak
  
• having a cochlear implant
  
• alcoholism
  
• cigarette smoker
  

Pneumococcal bacteria are spread between people through direct contact with respiratory secretions. Some people have bacteria in their noses or throats at times without becoming ill.

There are many types of pneumococcal disease. Information on types of illness and symptoms can be found at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Pneumococcal Disease: Symptoms and Complications.

Your health care provider will test for Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria if your symptoms give them reason to suspect pneumococcal disease. The health care provider will collect specimens and send them to a laboratory where the bacteria are grown and identified. With some pneumococcal illnesses, such as ear infections and sinusitis, health care providers may diagnose based on symptoms and will not do any testing.

Pneumococcal infections are treated with antibiotics. Because more strains are becoming antibiotic-resistant, laboratories may test to see which antibiotics will work best. It’s essential to complete the course of antibiotics as prescribed by your health care provider to help prevent the bacteria from becoming resistant to the antibiotic.

There is more information about pneumococcal disease at the CDC website: https://www.cdc.gov/pneumococcal/index.html

Vaccination is the best way to help prevent pneumococcal disease. While young children most often are infected with Streptococcus pneumoniae, older adults are at greatest risk for serious illness and death.

Learn more about pneumococcal vaccination recommendations: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/pneumo/public/index.html.

Other things you can do to help prevent pneumococcal disease are the same as with prevention of other respiratory illnesses: good handwashing practices, covering coughs and sneezes, staying home if you are ill, and avoiding sick people.

The pneumococcal vaccine is routinely recommended for children and adults, depending on age and risk factors, including:

• Children under age 5 years, according to the childhood immunization schedule
• Adults 65 years of age and older
  
• Adults with high-risk factors, some older children, and adults with conditions that increase their risk of pneumococcal disease should be vaccinated or may need additional doses
  

Experts agree that people who have already had pneumonia can benefit from the vaccine. There are many kinds of pneumonia, and having one kind does not ensure immunity against the others. The vaccine protects against many types of pneumococcal bacteria that cause pneumonia. However, it does not guarantee that you will never get pneumonia and it does not protect against viral pneumonia.