Pneumococcus (Streptococcus pneumoniae) is a bacterium causes a wide range of respiratory and generalized infections in children. It includes otitis media (middle ear infection) bronchitis, invasive pneumococcal diseases (IPD) such as pneumonia (chest infection), septicaemia (bacteria in the blood stream) and meningitis (infection of brain membranes), which may be severe and life-threatening. In Hong Kong, the incidence of IPD ranges from 1.7 to 2.9 per 100,000 population from 2007 to 2015. The bacteria can colonize in the nose and throat in children and the disease spreads mainly through respiratory droplets.Young children, the elderly, immunocompromised patients, patients with cochlear implants, patients with chronic illness (eg Diabetes Mellitus) and past history of IPD are considered high risk groups.
The disease can be treated with antibiotics. However, there is emergence of drug-resistant strains which have made the disease more difficult to treat. Pneumococcal pneumonia is also recognized as an important co-infection of Influenza.
