Invasive pneumococcal disease

Pneumococcal diseases are symptomatic infections caused by the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae), commonly referred to as pneumococci. The term invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) is used for more severe and invasive pneumococcal infections, such as bacteraemia, sepsis, meningitis and osteomyelitis, in which the bacterium can be isolated from normally sterile sites. Pneumococcal infections and IPDs are major causes of communicable disease morbidity and mortality in Europe and globally, with the highest burden of disease found in young children and the elderly. A large proportion of IPD is vaccine preventable.

Facts

Despite good access to effective antibiotics, Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococci) is still a major cause of disease and death in both developing and developed countries.

Scientific advice

Policy briefings, guidance, expert opinions, risk assessments and peer-reviewed publications

Surveillance and disease data

Microbiology

ECDC promotes the performance of external quality assessment (EQA) schemes, in which laboratories are sent simulated clinical specimens or bacterial isolates for testing by routine or reference laboratory methods.

Prevention and control

Childhood immunisation against S. pneumoniae is the most effective public health measure for preventing IPD both among vaccine recipients (direct effect), and among unimmunised populations (indirect ‘herd’ effect).

Latest outputs

Publication

External quality assessment (EQA) of performance of laboratories participating in the European Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Network (EARS-Net), 2019

External quality assessment - 15 Oct 2020

Peer-Reviewed Publication

Automated digital reporting of clinical laboratory information to national public health surveillance systems, results of a EU/EEA survey, 2018

Oct 2020

Publication