Pneumococcal Infections

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Basics

• Summary
• Symptoms
• Diagnosis and Tests
• Prevention and Risk Factors
• Treatments and Therapies

Learn More

• Specifics

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Research

• Statistics and Research
• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

Resources

• Find an Expert

For You

• Children
• Patient Handouts

Summary

Pneumococci are a type of streptococcus bacteria. The bacteria spread through contact with people who are ill or by healthy people who carry the bacteria in the back of their nose. Pneumococcal infections can be mild or severe. The most common types of infections are

• Ear infections
• Sinus infections
• Pneumonia
• Sepsis
• Meningitis

How the diagnosis is made depends upon where the infection is. Your doctor will do a physical exam and ask about your medical history. Possible tests may include blood, imaging, or lab tests. Treatment is with antibiotics. Vaccines can prevent pneumococcal infections. There are two vaccines. One is for infants and young children. The other is for people at high risk, including those who are over 65 years old, have chronic illnesses or weak immune systems, smoke, have asthma, or live in long-term care facilities.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Symptoms

• Pneumococcal Disease: Symptoms and Complications (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Diagnosis and Tests

• Bacteria Culture Test (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• Blood Culture Test (American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
• Chest X-Ray (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) Also in Spanish
• Pneumococcal Disease: Diagnosis and Treatment (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Prevention and Risk Factors

• Facts about Pneumococcal Disease for Adults (National Foundation for Infectious Diseases)
• Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV13): What You Need to Know (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF Also in Spanish
• Pneumococcal Disease: Risk Factors and Transmission (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine: What You Need to Know (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Immunization Action Coalition) - PDF Also in Spanish
• Pneumococcal Vaccination Recommendations for Children and Adults by Age and/or Risk Factor (Immunization Action Coalition) - PDF
• Pneumococcus: Questions and Answers (Immunization Action Coalition) - PDF

Treatments and Therapies

• Antibiotics: MedlinePlus Health Topic (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish

Specifics

• Pneumococcal Disease: Types of Infection (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Pneumococcal Pneumonia (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)

Statistics and Research

• Pneumococcal Disease Fast Facts (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Pneumococcal Infections (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Invasive Pneumococcal Disease Surveillance, 1 July to 30 September 2018.
• Article: Invasive Pneumococcal Disease Surveillance, 1 January to 31 March 2019.
• Article: Invasive Pneumococcal Disease Surveillance, 1 October to 31 December 2018.
• Pneumococcal Infections -- see more articles

Find an Expert

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Also in Spanish
• National Foundation for Infectious Diseases
• National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Children

• Pneumococcal Infections (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish
• Pneumococcal Vaccines (PCV, PPSV) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

• Meningitis - pneumococcal (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV13): What You Need to Know (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF Also in Spanish
• Pneumococcal Disease: Information for Parents (American Academy of Family Physicians, American Academy of Pediatrics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF
• Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine: What You Need to Know (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Immunization Action Coalition) - PDF Also in Spanish