Pneumococcal Pneumonia

What is Pneumonia?

Pneumonia is a lung disease that can be caused by diverse viruses, microbes, and sometimes fungi. The U.S. Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate nearly 90,000 people contained by the United States died from one of several kinds of pneumonia within 1999. In the United States, pneumonia is the fifth leading motive of death [Natl Vital Stat Report 47 (25), 10/5/1999]. Rates of infection are three-times complex in African Americans than contained by whites and are 5- to 10-times higher within Native-American adults and 10-times higher surrounded by Native-American children [J Infect Dis;170:368-76, 1994].

On an international scale, acute respiratory infection ranks as the third most frequent mete out of death among children smaller amount than 5 years old and be responsible for approximately 3.5 million deaths surrounded by 1998.

What is Pneumococcal Pneumonia?

Pneumococcal pneumonia is an infection in the lungs caused by germs called Streptococcus pneumoniae. S. pneumoniae, also call pneumococcus, can infect the upper respiratory tracts of adults and children and can spread to the blood, lungs, middle ear, or nervous system. CDC estimates S. pneumoniae cause 40,000 deaths and 500,000 cases of pneumonia annually contained by the United States. The yearly incidence of pneumococcal pneumonia is twice as dignified in African Americans than surrounded by whites and is responsible for 3,000 cases of meningitis (inflammation of spinal cord membranes), 50,000 cases of bacteremia (bacteria in the blood), and 7 million cases of otitis media (inner ear infection) [JAMA; 285:1729-1735, 2001].

According to the World Health Organization, S. pneumoniae is the overriding cause of severe pneumonia worldwide surrounded by children younger than 5 years old, cause more than 1 million deaths within children each year [Pneumococcal Vaccines: WHO Position Paper: Wkly Epidemiol Rec, Vol 74, 177-183, 1999].

Pneumococcal pneumonia primarily cause illness surrounded by children younger than 2 years old and adults 65 years of age or elder. The elderly are especially vulnerable to getting seriously in poor health and dying from this disease. In addition, society with clear in your mind medical conditions such as chronic heart, lung, or liver diseases or sickle cell anemia are also at increased risk for getting pneumococcal pneumonia as are people beside HIV infection or AIDS or people who hold had organ transplants and are taking medicine that lower their resistance to infection.

How is Pneumococcus Spread?

The noses and throats of up to 70 percent of decent people contain pneumococcus at any given time. It is spread from personage to person by coughing, sneezing, or close contact. Researchers don't know why it suddenly invades the lungs and the bloodstream to bring disease.

What are the Symptoms of Pneumococcal Pneumonia?

Pneumococcal pneumonia may begin suddenly, next to a severe shaking chill usually followed by

* High fever

* Cough

* Shortness of breath

* Rapid breathing

* Chest pains

There may be other symptoms as well.

* Nausea

* Vomiting

* Headache

* Tiredness

* Muscle aches

In an otherwise well adult, pneumococcal pneumonia usually involves one or more parts of the lungs, agreed as lobes. Thus, it is sometimes called lobar pneumonia. The remainder of the respiratory system is comparatively not artificial. In contrast, infants, young children, and elderly citizens more commonly develop a relatively mild infection in other parts of the lungs, such as around the air vessel (bronchi) causing bronchopneumonia.

How is Pneumococcal Pneumonia Diagnosed?

A doctor or other form care provider diagnoses pneumonia base on

* Symptoms

* Physical examination

* Laboratory tests

* Chest x-ray

Because a number of microbes, viruses, and other infectious agents can end in pneumonia, if you have any of the symptoms, you should achieve diagnosed early and start taking the right medication if you have any of the symptoms. The presence of S. pneumoniae within the blood, saliva, or lung fluid helps organize to a diagnosis of pneumococcal pneumonia.

How is Pneumococcal Pneumonia Treated?

Health care providers usually prescribe antibiotics, such as penicillin, to treat this bacterial disease. The symptoms of pneumococcal pneumonia usually subside in 12 to 36 hours after treatment has begin. Bacteria such as S. pneumoniae, however, are resisting and fighting past its sell-by date the powers of antibiotics to destroy them. Such antibiotic resistance is increasing worldwide because these medicine have be overused or misused. Therefore, if you are at risk of getting pneumococcal pneumonia, you should talk beside your doctor about taking steps to prevent it.

Can Pneumococcal Pneumonia be Prevented?

The pneumococcal vaccine is the just way to prevent getting pneumococcal pneumonia. Vaccines are available for children and adults.

The CDC National Immunization Program (NIP) recommend that you get immunize against pneumococcal pneumonia if you are in any of the following groups.

* You are 65 years old or elder.

* You have a serious long-term strength problem such as heart disease, sickle cell disease, alcoholism, leaks of cerebrospinal fluid, lung disease (not including asthma), diabetes, or liver cirrhosis.

* Your resistance to infection is lowered due to HIV infection or AIDS; lymphoma, leukemia, or other cancer; cancer treatment with x-rays or drugs; treatment near long-term steroids; bone marrow or organ transplant; kidney failure; nephrotic (kidney) syndrome; tatty spleen or no spleen.

* You are an Alaskan-Native or from certain Native-American populations.

In February 2000, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a pneumococcal vaccine for use in toddlers and children. It is the first pneumococcal vaccine approved for children younger than 2 years dated [http://www.fda.gov/cber/inside/annrpt.htm,: CBER Annual Report FY2000 Issued:01-08-01, Posted: 03-15-01, Updated: 04-10-01]. NIP recommends that adjectives children ages 2 to 23 months old carry this vaccine.

Does Pneumococcal Pneumonia Cause Complications?

In about 30 percent of family with pneumococcal pneumonia, the germs invade the blood stream from the lungs [http://www.cdc.gov/nip/publications/pink/pneumo2.pdf pp. 249-263]. This causes bacteremia, a hugely serious Pneumococcal pneumonia also can cause other lung problems and dependable heart problems.

What Research is Going On?

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) supports research on more effective prevention and treatment approaches to control pneumonia and its cause. These include

* Developing and licensing vaccines and treatments for the disease-causing microbes (pathogens) that impose pneumonia

* Stimulating research on the structure and function of these pathogens

* Developing better and more rapid diagnostic tools

* Understanding the long-term robustness impact respiratory pathogens have contained by various populations

* Examining the effect of vaccines in high-risk populations

* Determining how pneumococcus become resistant to antibiotics

The recently approved pneumococcal conjugate vaccine for children is moderately the result of crucial NIAID research in the impulsive development of the vaccine. This vaccine help prevent pneumococcal diseases in babies and toddlers and is the most recent advance within developing vaccines against common bacterial infections. This go was lead in life-size part by NIAID for more than 30 years.

NIAID supports studies to develop better pneumococcal conjugate vaccines for children worldwide. In one such study, NIAID researchers are working with The Gambia Government and scientists from several international research institutions to audition a pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in The Gambia, West Africa. Health care experts enjoy consistently identified pneumococcus as the most common inflict of bacterial pneumonia in The Gambia. In a stencil typical of many developing areas, infant and child mortality rates in The Gambia are giant, acute respiratory infections are a leading wreak of death, and pneumococcus is the most adjectives cause of these infections.

Where Can I Get More Information About Pneumococcal Pneumonia and Pneumococcal Vaccine?