Pneumococcal Disease
Pneumococcal disease is a group of illnesses that includes pneumonia, meningitis, bacteremia, otitis media, and sinusitis. Pneumococcal disease is caused by Streptococcus (S.) pneumoniae bacteria, also known as pneumococcus. It commonly lives in the nose or throat, and it enters the blood stream, causing several types of severe invasive pneumococcal disease.
The spread of pneumococcus from the nasal passage to the upper and lower respiratory tract also cause non-invasive conditions such as middle ear infection and sinusitis. If not treated, the conditions can lead to hearing loss, speech impediment, learning disabilities, paralysis, and even death.
There are 90 different strains of Streptococcus (S.) pneumoniae bacteria. Around 20 strains are associated with more than 80% of invasive pneumococcal disease.