To determine the serotype distribution and observation of possible improvements in this distribution in time to guide appropriate vaccination strategies for invasive pneumococcal disorders (meningitidis, bacteremia and empyema) in children in Turkey was the purpose of this study. The study examined S. pneumoniae in cerebrospinal fluid samples (CSF), blood and pleural fluid, using traditional bacteriological technologies and real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). S.pneumonia strains have been isolated from 33 different Turkey clinics, providing over 60% of the Turkish population with healthcare facilities.
Around 2015 and 2018, a total of 167 cases of invasive pneumococcal disease were diagnosed. The study diagnosed 52 meningitis patients; 104 bacteremia patients; and 11 empyema patients. 33% of them were under 2 years old and 56% were under 5 years old. Overall 56.2 percent of serotypes of PCV13 were found.
While regular and high-rate PCV vaccine13 and substantial decrease for younger children’s IPD occurrence have been recorded, vaccine serotype continues to present problems for Russia, alongside the increasing prevalence of non-vaccine serotypes. As new candidates for pneumococcal conjugate vaccinations are developing with more serotype antigens IPD monitoring is an important source of knowledge on pneumococcal vaccination decision-making processes.
Reference: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/21645515.2020.1747931
