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Background: Data are lacking on the pneumococcal serotypes present in many developing regions, including the Caribbean. We examined the serotypes of nasopharyngeal (NP) isolates of pneumococci obtained from Jamaican children. Methods: We obtained NP samples from children seen in the Emergency Department at the Bustamante Children's Hospital. The samples were transported to Canada for isolation and serotyping of pneumococci. Results: We obtained 94 isolates from 276 children; median age 3.4 years. The majority (57%) had symptoms of acute respiratory infection at the time of sampling. The main serotypes carried were 6B (20.5%), 19F (14.5%), and 14 (8.4%). Non-typable isolates accounted for 10.8% of the isolates. Fifty-nine percent of the serotypes were present among the 11 being considered for candidate pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (95% CI 48-70%); the corresponding proportion present in the recently licensed 7-valent vaccine was 57% (95% CI 45-67%). A significant proportion of the serotypes found is absent from those to be included in future conjugate vaccines (P < 0.0001; reference = 85% expected serotype representation). Less than 5% of isolates were non-susceptible to penicillin (3.2%), cefotaxime-ceftriaxone (3.2%) and cefuroxime (3.2%), while 8.4% and 1.l% of isolates were resistant to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and erythromycin respectively. There were three isolates with resistance to two or more classes of drug. These isolates were all resistant to penicillin (MIC 2 µg/mL); the serotypes were 14, 23F, and 19F. Conclusion: A significant proportion of the serotypes found is absent from those to be included in future conjugate vaccines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Seasonal influenza infection may cause significant morbidity and mortality in transplant recipients. The purpose of this study was to assess the epidemiology of symptomatic influenza infection posttransplant and determine risk factors for severe disease., Methods: Twenty centers in the United States, Canada, and Spain prospectively enrolled solid organ transplant (SOT) or hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients with microbiologically confirmed influenza over 5 consecutive years (2010-2015). Demographics, microbiology data, and outcomes were collected. Serial nasopharyngeal swabs were collected at diagnosis and upto 28 days, and quantitative polymerase chain reaction for influenza A was performed., Results: We enrolled 616 patients with confirmed influenza (477 SOT; 139 HSCT). Pneumonia at presentation was in 134 of 606 (22.1%) patients. Antiviral therapy was given to 94.1% for a median of 5 days (range, 1-42 days); 66.5% patients were hospitalized and 11.0% required intensive care unit (ICU) care. The receipt of vaccine in the same influenza season was associated with a decrease in disease severity as determined by the presence of pneumonia (odds ratio [OR], 0.34 [95% confidence interval {CI}, .21-.55], P < .001) and ICU admission (OR, 0.49 [95% CI, .26-.90], P = .023). Similarly, early antiviral treatment (within 48 hours) was associated with improved outcomes. In patients with influenza A, pneumonia, ICU admission, and not being immunized were also associated with higher viral loads at presentation (P = .018, P = .008, and P = .024, respectively)., Conclusions: Annual influenza vaccination and early antiviral therapy are associated with a significant reduction in influenza-associated morbidity, and should be emphasized as strategies to improve outcomes of transplant recipients.