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. 2021 Dec;10(1):2202-2204.
doi: 10.1080/22221751.2021.2000892.

Re-emergence of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) and increase of serotype 23B after easing of COVID-19 measures, Switzerland, 2021

Carlo Casanova  1   2 , Marianne Küffer  1   2 , Stephen L Leib  1   2 , Markus Hilty  1   2
Affiliations

Re-emergence of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) and increase of serotype 23B after easing of COVID-19 measures, Switzerland, 2021

Carlo Casanova et al. Emerg Microbes Infect. 2021 Dec.

Abstract

Incidence of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) has been low during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this study, we found that the IPD numbers again increased in Switzerland during the first six months of 2021 and that this coincides with the loosening of COVID-19 measures. Vaccine pneumococcal serotypes have continued to decrease and non-vaccine type serotype 23B has emerged (8% of the isolates in 2021). Worryingly, serotype 23B is associated with reduced susceptibility to penicillin.

Keywords: COVID-19 restrictions; Streptococcus pneumoniae; non-susceptibility to penicillin; pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV); surveillance.

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Conflict of interest statement

M.H. received an educational grant from Pfizer AG. However, the sponsor had no role in the data analysis and content of the manuscript. MH served on an advisory board for MSD, for which reimbursement was paid to his institution.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Number of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) isolates in Switzerland, January 2017–June 2021. Shown are the total numbers per month. The data for 2020 and 2021 are indicated in red and blue, respectively. The first month with COVID-19 measures is labeled (March 2020).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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