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BACKGROUND: Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is no longer restricted to hospital settings, and population-based incidence measures are needed. Understanding the determinants of CDI incidence will allow for more meaningful comparisons of rates and accu

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to evaluate the transdentinal cytotoxicity of 10% and 16% carbamide peroxide gel (CP), as well as the ability of the antioxidant, 10% sodium ascorbate (SA), to protect the odontoblasts in culture. STUDY DESIGN: Human dentin discs of 0.5-mm thickness were obtained and were placed into artificial pulp chambers. MDPC-23 odontoblastlike cells were seeded on pulp surface of the discs and the following groups were established: G1-No Treatment (control), G2-10% SA/6hs, G3-10%/CP6hs, G4-10%SA/6hs+10%CP/6hs, G5-16%CP/6hs, and G6-10%SA/6hs+16%CP/6hs. The cell viability was measured by the MTT assay. RESULTS: In groups where 16% CP was used, decreased cell viability was observed. Conversely, the application of 10% SA on the dentin discs, before the use of the CP, reduced the cytotoxic effects of these products on cells. CONCLUSIONS: The 16% CP cause a significant decrease in MDPC-23 cell viability and 10% SA was able to partially prevent the toxic effects of CP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Kenya introduced Synflorix™ (GlaxoSmithKline, PCV10-GSK), a 10-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, in 2011, using three primary doses and, in select areas, catch-up campaigns. Surveys conducted 1-2 years post-introduction showed a stable prevalence of pneumococcal colonization, with declines in vaccine-type carriage. However, little is known about the long-term impact of PCV10-GSK in Kenya., Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of pneumococcal carriage among children aged <5 years in November-December 2017 in Kibera (Nairobi informal settlement, no catch-up) and Asembo (rural western Kenya, 2-dose catch-up for children 1-4 years), using the same methods and settings as prior annual surveys from 2009 to 2013. Participants were randomly selected from an ongoing population-based surveillance platform. Nasopharyngeal swabs were frozen in skim milk-tryptone-glucose-glycerin media within 4 h and underwent culture with broth enrichment for pneumococcus. Isolates were serotyped by polymerase chain reaction and Quellung., Results: We enrolled 504 children, including 252 from each site; >90 % of participants had received 3 doses of PCV10-GSK. Pneumococcal colonization was detected in 210 (83.3 %) participants in Kibera and 149 (59.1 %) in Asembo, which was significantly lower than the prevalence observed in 2013 (92.9 % and 85.7 %, respectively). PCV10-GSK serotypes were detected in 35/252 (13.9 %) participants in Kibera and 23/252 (9.1 %) in Asembo, respectively; these prevalences were lower, but not statistically different, from vaccine-type carriage prevalences in 2013 (17.3 % and 13.3 %, respectively). In 2017 in both sites, serotypes 3, 6A, 19A, 19F, and 35B were among the most common serotypes., Conclusion: Six years post-PCV10-GSK introduction, the prevalence of pneumococcal carriage among children has decreased, and the impact of PCV10-GSK on vaccine-type carriage has plateaued. Kenya recently changed from PCV10-GSK to Pneumosil™ (Serum Institute of India), a 10-valent PCV that includes serotypes 6A and 19A; these data provide historical context for interpreting changes in vaccine-type carriage following the PCV formulation switch., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Background: The burden of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Latin America is high. Little is known about healthcare workers' (HCWs) knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of antimicrobial stewardship (AS), AMR, and antibiotic use (AU) in the region., Methods: HCWs from 42 hospitals from 5 Latin American countries were invited to take an electronic, voluntary, anonymous survey regarding knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of AS, AMR, and AU between March-April 2023., Findings: Overall, 996 HCWs completed the survey (52% physicians, 32% nurses, 11% pharmacists, 3% microbiologists, and 2% "other"). More than 90% of respondents indicated optimizing AU was a priority at their healthcare facility (HCF), 69% stated the importance of AS was communicated at their HCF, and 23% were unfamiliar with the term "antibiotic stewardship". Most (> 95%) respondents acknowledged that appropriate AU can reduce AMR; however, few thought AU (< 30%) or AMR (< 50%) were a problem in their HCF. Lack of access to antibiogram and to locally endorsed guidelines was reported by 51% and 34% of HCWs, respectively. Among prescribers, 53% did not consider non-physicians' opinions to make antibiotic-related decisions, 22% reported not receiving education on how to select antibiotics based on culture results and 60% stated patients and families influence their antibiotic decisions., Conclusions: Although HCWs perceived improving AU as a priority, they did not perceive AU or AMR as a problem in their HCF. AS opportunities include improved access to guidelines, access to AMR/AU data, teamwork, and education on AS for HCWs and patients and families., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Antimicrobial resistance remains a significant global public health threat. Although development of novel antibiotics can be challenging, several new antibiotics with improved activity against multidrug-resistant Gram-negative organisms have recently been commercialised. Expanding access to these antibiotics is a global public health priority that should be coupled with improving access to quality diagnostics, health care with adequately trained professionals, and functional antimicrobial stewardship programmes. This comprehensive approach is essential to ensure responsible use of these new antibiotics., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests We declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 World Health Organization. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. This is an Open Access article published under the CC BY NC ND 3.0 IGO license which permits users to download and share the article for non-commercial purposes, so long as the article is reproduced in the whole without changes, and provided the original source is properly cited. This article shall not be used or reproduced in association with the promotion of commercial products, services or any entity. There should be no suggestion that WHO endorses any specific organisation, products or services. The use of the WHO logo is not permitted. This notice should be preserved along with the article's original URL.)

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may have impacted outpatient antibiotic prescribing in low- and middle-income countries such as Brazil. However, outpatient antibiotic prescribing in Brazil, particularly at the prescription level, is not well-described., Methods: We used the IQVIA MIDAS database to characterize changes in prescribing rates of antibiotics commonly prescribed for respiratory infections (azithromycin, amoxicillin-clavulanate, levofloxacin/moxifloxacin, cephalexin, and ceftriaxone) among adults in Brazil overall and stratified by age and sex, comparing prepandemic (January 2019-March 2020) and pandemic periods (April 2020-December 2021) using uni- and multivariate Poisson regression models. The most common prescribing provider specialties for these antibiotics were also identified., Results: In the pandemic period compared to the prepandemic period, outpatient azithromycin prescribing rates increased across all age-sex groups (incidence rate ratio [IRR] range, 1.474-3.619), with the greatest increase observed in males aged 65-74 years; meanwhile, prescribing rates for amoxicillin-clavulanate and respiratory fluoroquinolones mostly decreased, and changes in cephalosporin prescribing rates varied across age-sex groups (IRR range, 0.134-1.910). For all antibiotics, the interaction of age and sex with the pandemic in multivariable models was an independent predictor of prescribing changes comparing the pandemic versus prepandemic periods. General practitioners and gynecologists accounted for the majority of increases in azithromycin and ceftriaxone prescribing during the pandemic period., Conclusions: Substantial increases in outpatient prescribing rates for azithromycin and ceftriaxone were observed in Brazil during the pandemic with prescribing rates being disproportionally different by age and sex. General practitioners and gynecologists were the most common prescribers of azithromycin and ceftriaxone during the pandemic, identifying them as potential specialties for antimicrobial stewardship interventions., Competing Interests: Potential conflicts of interest. L. A. H. is an unpaid volunteer member on the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America Board of Trustees and the American College of Physicians Clinical Guidelines Committee. All other authors report no potential conflicts. All authors have submitted the ICMJE Form for Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest. Conflicts that the editors consider relevant to the content of the manuscript have been disclosed., (Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Infectious Diseases Society of America 2023.)

Background: The impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on antimicrobial use (AU) and resistance has not been well evaluated in South America. These data are critical to inform national policies and clinical care., Methods: At a tertiary hospital in Santiago, Chile, between 2018 and 2022, subdivided into pre- (3/2018-2/2020) and post-COVID-19 onset (3/2020-2/2022), we evaluated intravenous AU and frequency of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE). We grouped monthly AU (defined daily doses [DDD]/1000 patient-days) into broad-spectrum β-lactams, carbapenems, and colistin and used interrupted time-series analysis to compare AU during pre- and post-pandemic onset. We studied the frequency of carbapenemase-producing (CP) CRE and performed whole-genome sequencing analyses of all carbapenem-resistant (CR) Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKpn) isolates collected during the study period., Results: Compared with pre-pandemic, AU (DDD/1000 patient-days) significantly increased after the pandemic onset, from 78.1 to 142.5 (P < .001), 50.9 to 110.1 (P < .001), and 4.1 to 13.3 (P < .001) for broad-spectrum β-lactams, carbapenems, and colistin, respectively. The frequency of CP-CRE increased from 12.8% pre-COVID-19 to 51.9% after pandemic onset (P < .001). The most frequent CRE species in both periods was CRKpn (79.5% and 76.5%, respectively). The expansion of CP-CRE harboring blaNDM was particularly noticeable, increasing from 40% (n = 4/10) before to 73.6% (n = 39/53) after pandemic onset (P < .001). Our phylogenomic analyses revealed the emergence of two distinct genomic lineages of CP-CRKpn: ST45, harboring blaNDM, and ST1161, which carried blaKPC., Conclusions: AU and the frequency of CP-CRE increased after COVID-19 onset. The increase in CP-CRKpn was driven by the emergence of novel genomic lineages. Our observations highlight the need to strengthen infection prevention and control and antimicrobial stewardship efforts., Competing Interests: Potential conflicts of interest. R. A. reports funding from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the China Center for Disease Control, and the Chile Ministry of Science (ANID). They report receiving consulting fees for COVID-19 vaccines from AstraZeneca, Pfizer, and Sinovac; attending the Tecnofarma meeting on COVID-19 vaccines; and holding a leadership position with the COVID-19 external advisory group to the Chile Ministry of Health. All other authors report no potential conflicts. All authors have submitted the ICMJE Form for Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest. Conflicts that the editors consider relevant to the content of the manuscript have been disclosed., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Infectious Diseases Society of America.)

Background: Antimicrobial resistance has worsened in Latin America. There is an urgent need to understand the development of antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) and the barriers to implementing effective ASPs in light of limited national action plans or policies to promote ASPs in the region., Methods: We performed a descriptive mixed-methods study of ASPs in 5 Latin American countries in March-July 2022. An electronic questionnaire with an associated scoring system (hospital ASP self-assessment) was used, and ASP development was classified based on the scores (inadequate, 0-25; basic, 26-50; intermediate, 51-75; or advanced, 76-100). Interviews among healthcare workers (HCWs) involved in antimicrobial stewardship (AS) inquired about behavioral and organizational factors that influence AS activities. Interview data were coded into themes. Results from the ASP self-assessment and interviews were integrated to create an explanatory framework., Results: Twenty hospitals completed the self-assessment, and 46 AS stakeholders from these hospitals were interviewed. ASP development was inadequate/basic in 35% of hospitals, intermediate in 50%, and advanced in 15%. For-profit hospitals had higher scores than not-for-profit hospitals. Interview data validated the self-assessment findings and provided further insight into ASP implementation challenges, which included limited formal hospital leadership support, inadequate staffing and tools to perform AS work more efficiently, limited awareness of AS principles by HCWs, and limited training opportunities., Conclusions: We identified several barriers to ASP development in Latin America, suggesting the need to create accurate business cases for ASPs to obtain the necessary funding for their effective implementation and sustainability., Competing Interests: Potential conflicts of interest. V. F. reports funding support from CDC including funding to present this work. S. E. C., reports funding support from the CDC. All other authors report no potential conflicts. All authors have submitted the ICMJE Form for Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest. Conflicts that the editors consider relevant to the content of the manuscript have been disclosed., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Infectious Diseases Society of America.)

Competing Interests: Potential conflicts of interest. The authors: No reported conflicts of interest. Both authors have submitted the ICMJE Form for Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest.

Background: High rates of antibiotic use (AU) among inpatients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) despite low rates of bacterial coinfection and secondary infection have been reported. We evaluated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on AU in healthcare facilities (HCFs) in South America., Methods: We conducted an ecologic evaluation of AU in inpatient adult acute care wards in 2 HCFs each in Argentina, Brazil, and Chile. The AU rates for intravenous antibiotics were calculated as the defined daily dose per 1000 patient-days, using pharmacy dispensing records and hospitalization data from March 2018-February 2020 (prepandemic) and March 2020-February 2021 (pandemic). Differences in median AU were compared between the prepandemic and pandemic periods, using the Wilcoxon rank sum test to determine significance. Interrupted time series analysis was used to analyze changes in AU during the COVID-19 pandemic., Results: Compared with the prepandemic period, the median difference in AU rates for all antibiotics combined increased in 4 of 6 HCFs (percentage change, 6.7%-35.1%; P < .05). In the interrupted time series models, 5 of 6 HCFs had significant increases in use of all antibiotics combined immediately at the onset of the pandemic (immediate effect estimate range, 15.4-268), but only 1 of these 5 HCFs experienced a sustained increase over time (change in slope, +8.13; P < .01). The effect of the pandemic onset varied by antibiotic group and HCF., Conclusions: Substantial increases in AU were observed at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, suggesting the need to maintain or strengthen antibiotic stewardship activities as part of pandemic or emergency HCF responses., Competing Interests: Potential conflicts of interest. All authors report no potential conflicts. All authors have submitted the ICMJE Form for Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest. Conflicts that the editors consider relevant to the content of the manuscript have been disclosed., (Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Infectious Diseases Society of America 2023.)

Streptococcus pneumoniae is a cause of invasive diseases such as pneumonia, meningitis, and other serious infections among children and adults in Paraguay. This study was conducted to establish S. pneumoniae baseline prevalence, serotype distribution, and antibiotic resistance patterns in healthy children aged 2 to 59 months and adults ≥60 years of age prior to the introduction of PCV10 in the national childhood immunization program in Paraguay. Between April and July 2012, a total of 1444 nasopharyngeal swabs were collected, 718 from children aged 2 to 59 months and 726 from adults ≥60 years of age. The pneumococcal isolation, serotyping, and antibiotic susceptibility testing were performed using standard tests. Pneumococcal colonization prevalence was 34.1% (245/718) in children and 3.3% (24/726) in adults. The most frequent pneumococcal vaccine-types (VT) detected in the children were 6B (42/245), 19F (32/245), 14 (17/245), and 23F (20/245). Carriage prevalence with PCV10 serotypes was 50.6% (124/245) and PCV13 was 59.5% (146/245). Among colonized adults, prevalence of PCV10 and PCV13 serotypes were 29.1% (7/24) and 41.6% (10/24), respectively. Colonized children were more likely to share a bedroom, have a history of respiratory infection or pneumococcal infection compared to non-colonized children. no associations were found in adults. However, no significant associations were found in children and neither in adults. Vaccine-type pneumococcal colonization was highly prevalent in children and rare in adults in Paraguay prior to vaccine introduction, supporting the introduction of PCV10 in the country in 2012. These data will be useful to evaluate the impact of PCV introduction in the country., Competing Interests: The autors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2023 Chamorro et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Importance: The association of 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) use with pneumonia hospitalization in older adults, especially those with underlying medical conditions, is not well described., Objective: To evaluate the association of PCV13 use with pneumonia, non-health care-associated (non-HA) pneumonia, and lobar pneumonia (LP) hospitalization among US Medicare beneficiaries 65 years or older., Design, Setting, and Participants: This cohort study with time-varying exposure assignment analyzed claims data from US Medicare beneficiaries 65 years or older enrolled in Parts A/B with a residence in the 50 US states or the District of Columbia by September 1, 2014. New Medicare Parts A/B beneficiaries within 6 months after their 65th birthday were continuously included in the cohort after September 1, 2014, and followed through December 31, 2017. Participants were censored if they died, changed enrollment status, or developed a study outcome. Most of the analyses were conducted from 2018 to 2019, and additional analyses were performed from 2021 to 2022., Exposures: Use of PCV13 vaccination 14 days or more before pneumonia hospitalization., Main Outcomes and Measures: Discrete-time survival models were used to estimate the incidence rate ratio (IRR) and number of pneumonia hospitalizations averted through PCV13 use. The adjusted IRR for the association of PCV13 vaccination with pneumonia hospitalization was used to estimate vaccine effectiveness (VE)., Results: At the end of follow-up (December 2017), 24 121 625 beneficiaries (13 593 975 women [56.4%]; 418 005 [1.7%] Asian, 1 750 807 [4.8%] Black, 338 044 [1.4%] Hispanic, 111 508 [0.5%] Native American, and 20 700 948 [85.8%] White individuals) were in the cohort; 4 936 185 (20.5%) had received PCV13 only, and 10 646 220 (79.5%) had not received any pneumococcal vaccines. More than half of the beneficiaries in the cohort were younger than 75 years, White, and had either immunocompromising or chronic medical conditions. Coverage with PCV13 increased from 0.8% (September 2014) to 41.5% (December 2017). The VE for PCV13 was estimated at 6.7% (95% CI, 5.9%-7.5%) for pneumonia, 4.7% (95% CI, 3.9%-5.6%) for non-HA pneumonia, and 5.8% (95% CI, 2.6%-8.9%) for LP. From September 2014 through December 2017, an estimated 35 127 pneumonia (95% CI, 33 011-37 270), 24 643 non-HA pneumonia (95% CI, 22 761-26 552), and 1294 LP (95% CI, 797-1819) hospitalizations were averted through PCV13 use., Conclusions and Relevance: The study results suggest that PCV13 use was associated with reduced pneumonia hospitalization among Medicare beneficiaries 65 years or older, many of whom had underlying medical conditions. Increased PCV13 coverage and use of recently approved higher-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccines may avert additional pneumonia hospitalizations in adults.

In February 2021, Peru launched a COVID-19 vaccination campaign among healthcare personnel using an inactivated whole-virus vaccine. The manufacturer recommended 2 vaccine doses 21 days apart. We evaluated vaccine effectiveness among an existing multiyear influenza vaccine cohort at 2 hospitals in Lima. We analyzed data on 290 participants followed during February-May 2021. Participants completed a baseline questionnaire and provided weekly self-collected nasal swab samples; samples were tested by real-time reverse transcription PCR. Median participant follow-up was 2 (range 1-11) weeks. We performed multivariable logistic regression and adjusted for preselected characteristics. During the study, 25 (9%) participants tested SARS-CoV-2-positive. We estimated adjusted vaccine effectiveness at 95% (95% CI 70%-99%) among fully vaccinated participants and 100% (95% CI 88%-100%) among partially vaccinated participants. These data can inform the use and acceptance of inactivated whole-virus vaccine and support vaccination efforts in the region.

Introduction: Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) is an important strategy to control antimicrobial resistance. Resources are available to provide guidance for design and implementation of AMS programmes, however these may have limited applicability in resource-limited settings including those in Asia. This scoping review aims to identify context-specific domains and items for the development of a healthcare facility (HCF)-level tool to guide AMS implementation in Asia., Methods and Analysis: This review is the first step in a larger project to assess AMS implementation, needs and gaps in Asia. We will employ a deductive qualitative approach to identify locally appropriate domains and items of AMS implementation guided by Nilsen and Bernhardsson's contextual dimensions. This process is also informed by discussions from a technical advisory group coordinated by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to develop an AMS HCF-level assessment tool for low-income and middle-income countries. We will review English-language documents that discuss HCF-level implementation, including those describing frameworks, components/elements or recommendations for design, implementation or assessment globally and specific to Asia. We have performed the search in August-September 2021 including general electronic databases (MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science and Google Scholar), region-specific databases, national action plans, grey literature sources and reference lists to identify eligible documents. Country-specific documents will be restricted to countries in three subregions: South Asia, East Asia and Southeast Asia. Codes and themes will be derived through a content analysis, classified following the predefined context dimensions and used for developing domains and items of the assessment tool., Ethics and Dissemination: Results from this review will feed into our stepwise process for developing a context-specific HCF-level assessment tool for AMS programmes to assess the implementation status, identify intervention opportunities and monitor progress over time. The process will be done in consultation with local stakeholders, the end-users of the generated knowledge., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2022. Re-use permitted under CC BY. Published by BMJ.)

Implementation of antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) in well-resourced countries has been associated with reductions in antibiotic-resistant infections and improved patient outcomes. Several guidance documents providing recommendations on how to structure antimicrobial stewardship activities at the national and hospital level in resource-limited settings have been published. However, few hospitals in Latin America report having a structure or resources needed for a successful ASP. Given the alarming increases in antimicrobial resistance in Latin America, better understanding of barriers to promote implementation of effective ASPs is urgently needed. We have summarized past and present antimicrobial stewardship activities in Latin American hospitals, and we describe key elements needed in future efforts to strengthen antimicrobial stewardship in the region., (© The Author(s) 2022.)

Background: The SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern (VOC) P.1 (Gamma variant) emerged in the Amazonas State, Brazil, in November 2020. The epidemiological consequences of its mutations have not been widely studied, despite detection of P.1 in 36 countries, with local transmission in at least 5 countries. A range of mutations are seen in P.1, ten of them in the spike protein. It shares mutations with VOCs previously detected in the United Kingdom (B.1.1.7, Alpha variant) and South Africa (B.1.351, Beta variant)., Methods: We estimated the transmissibility and reinfection of P.1 using a model-based approach, fitting data from the national health surveillance of hospitalized individuals and frequency of the P.1 variant in Manaus from December-2020 to February-2021., Results: Here we estimate that the new variant is about 2.6 times more transmissible (95% Confidence Interval: 2.4-2.8) than previous circulating variant(s). Manaus already had a high prevalence of individuals previously affected by the SARS-CoV-2 virus and our fitted model attributed 28% of Manaus cases in the period to reinfections by P.1, confirming the importance of reinfection by this variant. This value is in line with estimates from blood donors samples in Manaus city., Conclusions: Our estimates rank P.1 as one of the most transmissible among the SARS-CoV-2 VOCs currently identified, and potentially as transmissible as the posteriorly detected VOC B.1.617.2 (Delta variant), posing a serious threat and requiring measures to control its global spread., Competing Interests: Competing interestsThe authors declare no competing interests., (© The Author(s) 2021.)

Background: Invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) leads to thousands of pediatric deaths annually. Pneumococcal colonization precedes IPD. In 2013, the Dominican Republic introduced the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) into its routine infant immunization program, with doses at ages 2, 4, and 12 months. Prevalence of pneumococcal nasopharyngeal colonization was evaluated post-PCV13 introduction., Methods: A prospective cohort study of 125 children aged 2-35 months was conducted in a rural Dominican Republic community November 2016 through July 2017. Nasopharyngeal swabs and clinical and vaccination data were collected at enrollment and 4-6 months later. Serotypes included in PCV13 were defined as vaccine-type. Colonization rates and serotype distribution were compared at baseline and follow-up, and the association between colonization and vaccination status among the entire cohort was evaluated at each time point., Results: Of 125 children enrolled, 118 (94%) completed follow-up. Overall and vaccine-type pneumococcal colonization rates were 62% and 25%, respectively, at baseline and 60% and 28% at follow-up. Among children age-eligible for 3 doses, 50% and 51% were fully vaccinated at baseline and follow-up, respectively. At baseline assessment, children up-to-date for age for PCV13 were less likely to be colonized with vaccine-type pneumococci than children not up-to-date, and the same was found for fully vaccinated children (3 doses) compared to those not fully vaccinated (odds ratios [ORs], 0.38 [95% confidence interval {CI}, .18-.79], and 0.14 [95% CI, .04-.45], respectively). The same associations were not found at follow-up assessment., Conclusions: Three years post -PCV13 introduction, vaccine-type colonization rates remained high. Low vaccination coverage for 3 PCV13 doses may have contributed. The protective effect of PCV13 on vaccine-type carriage suggests an increase in PCV13 coverage could lead to substantial declines in pneumococcal vaccine-type carriage., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America.)

The quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) method presented in this study allows the identification of pneumococcal capsular serotypes in cerebrospinal fluid without first performing DNA extraction. This testing approach, which saves time and resources, demonstrated similar sensitivity and a high level of agreement between cycle threshold values when it was compared side-by-side with the standard qPCR method with extracted DNA., (Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America 2021.)

Background: The meningitis belt of sub-Saharan Africa has traditionally experienced large outbreaks of meningitis mainly caused by Neisseria meningitidis. More recently, Streptococcus pneumoniae has been recognized as a cause of meningitis outbreaks in the region. Little is known about the natural history and epidemiology of these outbreaks, and, in contrast to meningococcal meningitis, there is no agreed definition for a pneumococcal meningitis epidemic. The aim of this analysis was to systematically review and understand pneumococcal meningitis outbreaks in Africa between 2000 and 2018., Methods: Meningitis outbreaks were identified using a systematic literature review and analyses of meningitis surveillance databases. Potential outbreaks were included in the final analysis if they reported at least 10 laboratory-confirmed meningitis cases above baseline per week with ≥50% of cases confirmed as pneumococcus., Results: A total of 10 potential pneumococcal meningitis outbreaks were identified in Africa between 2000 and 2018. Of these, 2 were classified as confirmed, 7 were classified as possible, and 1 was classified as unlikely. Three outbreaks spanned more than 1 year. In general, the outbreaks demonstrated lower peak attack rates than meningococcal meningitis outbreaks and had a predominance of serotype 1. Patients with pneumococcal meningitis tended to be older and had higher case fatality rates than meningococcal meningitis cases. An outbreak definition, which includes a weekly district-level incidence of at least 10 suspected cases per 100 000 population per week, with >10 cumulative confirmed cases of pneumococcus per year, would have identified all 10 potential outbreaks., Conclusions: Given the frequency of and high case fatality from pneumococcal meningitis outbreaks, public health recommendations on vaccination strategies and the management of outbreaks are needed. Improved laboratory testing for S. pneumoniae is critical for early outbreak identification., (Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America 2021.)

Background: As part of the global Invasive Bacterial Vaccine-Preventable Diseases Surveillance Network, 12 African countries referred cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples to South Africa's regional reference laboratory. We evaluated the utility of real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in detecting and serotyping/grouping Haemophilus influenzae, Neisseria meningitidis, and Streptococcus pneumoniae (HNS)., Methods: From 2008 to 2017, CSF samples collected from children <5 years old with suspected meningitis underwent routine microbiology testing in-country, and 11 680 samples were submitted for HNS PCR at the regional reference laboratory. Unconditional logistic regression, with adjustment for geographic location, was performed to identify factors associated with PCR positivity., Results: The overall HNS PCR positivity rate for all countries was 10% (1195 of 11 626 samples). In samples with both PCR and culture results, HNS PCR positivity was 11% (744 of 6747 samples), and HNS culture positivity was 3% (207 of 6747). Molecular serotype/serogroup was assigned in 75% of PCR-positive specimens (762 of 1016). Compared with PCR-negative CSF samples, PCR-positive samples were more often turbid (adjusted odds ratio, 6.80; 95% confidence interval, 5.67-8.17) and xanthochromic (1.72; 1.29-2.28), had elevated white blood cell counts (6.13; 4.71-7.99) and high protein concentrations (5.80; 4.34-7.75), and were more often HNS culture positive (32.70; 23.18-46.12)., Conclusion: PCR increased detection of vaccine-preventable bacterial meningitis in countries where confirmation of suspected meningitis cases is impeded by limited culture capacity., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America.)

Background: In 2013, the Dominican Republic introduced 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) using a 3-dose schedule (at 2, 4 and 12 months of age). We evaluated the impact of PCV13 on serotypes causing pneumococcal pneumonia with pleural effusion., Methods: Surveillance data after PCV13 introduction (July 2014 to June 2016) were compared with data before PCV13 introduction (July 2009 to June 2011). Cases were defined as radiologic evidence of pneumonia with pleural effusion in a child aged <15 years. Pneumococcus was detected in pleural fluid by either culture or polymerase chain reaction, and serotyping was performed. The Ministry of Health's PCV13 uptake data for 2014-2016 were obtained., Results: The prevalence of pneumococcus among cases was similar before and after PCV13 introduction (56.4% and 52.8%, respectively). The proportion of pneumococcal cases caused by vaccine serotypes was 86% for children <2 years old both before and PCV13 introduction. Compared with before PCV13, serotype 14 accounted for a smaller (28% vs 13%, respectively; P = .02) and serotype 1 for a larger (23% vs 37%; P = .09) proportion of pneumococcal cases after PCV13 introduction. National uptake for the first, second, and third PCV13 doses was 94%, 81%, and 28%, respectively, in 2014 and 75%, 61%, and 26% in 2015., Discussion: While the decrease in pneumococcal pneumonia with pleural effusion caused by serotype 14 may reflect an early effect of PCV13 implementation, other vaccine serotypes, including serotype 1, are not well controlled. Better PCV13 coverage for all 3 doses is needed., (Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America 2021.)

Background: Ghana introduced 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) into the routine infant immunization program in 2012, using a three-dose primary series without a booster. Despite ≥ 88% reported three-dose vaccination coverage since 2013, PCV13-type pneumococcal meningitis outbreaks have occurred. We estimated the ongoing economic burden of PCV13-type pneumococcal meningitis and pneumonia in northern Ghana, an area within the African meningitis belt with seasonal increases of pneumococcal meningitis post-PCV13 introduction, to inform PCV13 vaccination policy., Methods: We performed a cross-sectional survey among patients with pneumonia or meningitis at three hospitals in northern Ghana to determine patient-level costs (direct medical and nonmedical, indirect patient and caregiver costs) incurred in household, outpatient, and inpatient settings. Pneumonia burden was estimated using 2017-2018 administrative records. Pneumococcal meningitis burden was estimated using 2017-2018 case-based surveillance data. Economic burden was reported in 2019 U.S. dollars ($) from the societal perspective., Results: For an area with a total population of 5,068,521, our model estimated 6,441 PCV13-type pneumonia cases and 286 PCV13-type meningitis cases occurred in a typical year post-PCV13. In the base case scenario, the total economic burden was $5,230,035 per year ($777 per case). By age group, cost per PCV13-type pneumonia case was $423 (<5 years), $911 (5-14 years), and $784 (≥15 years); cost per PCV13-type meningitis case was $2,128 (<5 years), $3,247 (5-14 years), and $2,883 (≥15 years). Most (78.0-93.4%) of the total societal cost was due to indirect costs related to deaths from PCV13-type diseases., Conclusions: The estimated economic burden of PCV13-type disease in northern Ghana remains substantial, especially in older children and adults who were expected to have benefited from indirect effects from infant immunization. Additional interventions such as changes in the infant immunization schedule, reactive vaccination, or catch-up PCV13 vaccination may be needed to control remaining vaccine-type disease., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been an unprecedented global health challenge. Traditional modes of knowledge dissemination have not been feasible. A rapid solution was needed to share guidance and implementation examples within the global infection prevention and control (IPC) community. We designed the IPC Global Webinar Series to bring together subject matter experts and IPC professionals in the fight against COVID-19., Methods: The Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) model was adapted to create an interactive global knowledge network. Speakers and panelists provided presentations and answers to questions. Webinars were simultaneously interpreted into 5 languages and recorded for later access., Results: Thirteen webinar sessions were completed from 14 May through 6 August 2020. On average, 634 participants attended each session (range, 393-1181). Each session was represented by participants from, on average, more than 100 countries., Conclusions: Through the IPC Global Webinar Series, critical information was shared and peer-to-peer learning was promoted during the COVID-19 pandemic response. The webinar sessions reached a broader audience than many in-person events. The webinar series was rapidly scaled and can be rapidly reactivated as needed. Our lessons learned in designing and implementing the series can inform the design of other global health virtual knowledge networks. The continued and expanded use of adapted virtual communities of practice and other learning networks for the IPC community can serve as a valuable tool for addressing COVID-19 and other infectious disease threats.The infection prevention and control (IPC) Global Webinar Series convened subject matter experts and IPC professionals from more than 100 countries to establish a global learning community for COVID-19. We advocate for expanded use of virtual knowledge networks., (Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America 2021.)

Background: Mozambique introduced 10-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV10) in 2013 with doses at ages 2, 3, and 4 months and no catch-up or booster dose. We evaluated PCV10 impact on the carriage of vaccine-type (VT), non-VT, and antimicrobial non-susceptible pneumococci 3 years after introduction., Methods: We conducted cross-sectional carriage surveys among HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected children aged 6 weeks to 59 months: 1 pre-PCV10 (2012-2013 [Baseline]) and 2 post-PCV10 introductions (2014-2015 [Post1] and 2015-2016 [Post2]). Pneumococci isolated from nasopharyngeal swabs underwent Quellung serotyping and antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Non-susceptible isolates (intermediate or resistant) were defined using Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute 2018 breakpoints. We used log-binomial regression to estimate changes in the pneumococcal carriage between survey periods. We compared proportions of non-susceptible pneumococci between Baseline and Post2., Results: We enrolled 720 children at Baseline, 911 at Post1, and 1208 at Post2. Baseline VT carriage was similar for HIV-uninfected (36.0%, 110/306) and HIV-infected children (34.8%, 144/414). VT carriage was 36% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 19%-49%) and 27% (95% CI: 11%-41%) lower in Post1 vs baseline among HIV-uninfected and HIV-infected children, respectively. VT carriage prevalence declined in Post2 vs Post1 for HIV-uninfected but remained stable for HIV-infected children. VT carriage prevalence 3 years after PCV10 introduction was 14.5% in HIV-uninfected and 21.0% in HIV-infected children. Pneumococcal isolates non-susceptible to penicillin declined from 66.0% to 56.2% (P= .0281) among HIV-infected children., Conclusions: VT and antimicrobial non-susceptible pneumococci carriage dropped after PCV10 introduction, especially in HIV-uninfected children. However, VT carriage remained common, indicating ongoing VT pneumococci transmission., (Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society 2020.)

We assessed viral co-infections in 155 patients with community-associated Clostridioides difficile infection in five U.S. sites during December 2012-February 2013. Eighteen patients (12%) tested positive for norovirus (n = 10), adenovirus (n = 4), rotavirus (n = 3), or sapovirus (n = 1). Co-infected patients were more likely than non-co-infected patients to have nausea or vomiting (56% vs 31%; p = 0.04), suggesting that viral co-pathogens contributed to symptoms in some patients. There were no significant differences in prior healthcare or medication exposures or in CDI complications., Competing Interests: No authors have competing interests.

We compared pneumococcal isolation rates and evaluated the benefit of using oropharyngeal (OP) specimens in addition to nasopharyngeal (NP) specimens collected from adults in rural Kenya. Of 846 adults, 52.1% were colonized; pneumococci were detected from both NP and OP specimens in 23.5%, NP only in 22.9%, and OP only in 5.7%. Ten-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine strains were detected from both NP and OP in 3.4%, NP only in 4.1%, and OP only in 0.7%. Inclusion of OP swabs increased carriage detection by 5.7%; however, the added cost of collecting and processing OP specimens may justify exclusion from future carriage studies among adults., (© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Infectious Diseases Society of America.)

Objectives: To evaluate the impact of International Classification of Disease , 10th revision, Clinical Modification ( ICD-10-CM ) implementation on pneumonia hospitalizations rates, which had declined following pneumococcal conjugate vaccine introduction for infants in 2000., Methods: We randomly selected records from a single hospital 1 year before (n = 500) and after (n = 500) October 2015 implementation of ICD-10-CM coding. We used a validated ICD-9-CM algorithm and translation of that algorithm to ICD-10-CM to identify pneumonia hospitalizations pre- and post-implementation, respectively. We recoded ICD-10-CM records to ICD-9-CM and vice versa. We calculated sensitivity and positive predictive value (PPV) of the ICD-10-CM algorithm using ICD-9-CM coding as the reference. We used sensitivity and PPV values to calculate an adjustment factor to apply to ICD-10 era rates to enable comparison with ICD-9-CM rates. We reviewed primary diagnoses of charts not meeting the pneumonia definition when recoded., Results: Sensitivity and PPV of the ICD-10-CM algorithm were 94% and 92%, respectively, for young children and 74% and 79% for older adults. The estimated adjustment factor for ICD-10-CM period rates was -2.09% (95% credible region [CR], -7.71% to +3.0%) for children and +6.76% (95% CR, -3.06% to +16.7%) for older adults. We identified a change in coding adult charts that met the ICD-9-CM pneumonia definition that led to recoding in ICD-10-CM as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbation., Conclusions: The ICD-10-CM algorithm derived from a validated ICD-9-CM algorithm should not introduce substantial bias for evaluating pneumonia trends in children. However, changes in coding of pneumonia associated with COPD in adults warrant further study., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting Interests: The author(s) declared the following potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: MRG has received research support from The Campbell Alliance, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Food and Drug Administration; CGG has received consulting fees from Pfizer and Merck and received research support from Sanofi-Pasteur, Campbell Alliance, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institutes of Health, The Food and Drug Administration, and the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality., (© The Author(s) 2020.)

Background: Dried blood spots (DBS) have been proposed as potentially tool for detecting invasive bacterial diseases., Methods: We evaluated the use of DBS for S. pneumoniae and H. influenzae detection among children in Mozambique. Blood for DBS and nasopharyngeal (NP) swabs were collected from children with pneumonia and healthy aged < 5 years. Bacterial detection and serotyping were performed by quantitative PCR (qPCR) (NP and DBS; lytA gene for pneumococcus and hpd for H. influenzae) and culture (NP). Combined detection rates were compared between children with pneumonia and healthy., Results: Of 325 children enrolled, 205 had pneumonia and 120 were healthy. Pneumococci were detected in DBS from 20.5 and 64.2% of children with pneumonia and healthy, respectively; NP specimens were positive for pneumococcus in 80.0 and 80.8%, respectively. H. influenzae was detected in DBS from 22.9% of children with pneumonia and 59.2% of healthy; 81.4 and 81.5% of NP specimens were positive for H. influenzae, respectively., Conclusion: DBS detected pneumococcal and H. influenzae DNA in children with pneumonia and healthy. Healthy children were often DBS positive for both bacteria, suggesting that qPCR of DBS specimens does not differentiate disease from colonization and is therefore not a useful diagnostic tool for children.

Background: Cambodia introduced the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) in January 2015 using a 3 + 0 dosing schedule and no catch-up campaign. We investigated the effects of this introduction on pneumococcal colonization and invasive disease in children aged <5 years., Methods: There were 6 colonization surveys done between January 2014 and January 2018 in children attending the outpatient department of a nongovernmental pediatric hospital in Siem Reap. Nasopharyngeal swabs were analyzed by phenotypic and genotypic methods to detect pneumococcal serotypes and antimicrobial resistance. Invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) data for January 2012-December 2018 were retrieved from hospital databases. Pre-PCV IPD data and pre-/post-PCV colonization data were modelled to estimate vaccine effectiveness (VE)., Results: Comparing 2014 with 2016-2018, and using adjusted prevalence ratios, VE estimates for colonization were 16.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 10.6-21.8) for all pneumococci and 39.2% (95% CI 26.7-46.1) for vaccine serotype (VT) pneumococci. There was a 26.0% (95% CI 17.7-33.0) decrease in multidrug-resistant pneumococcal colonization. The IPD incidence was estimated to have declined by 26.4% (95% CI 14.4-35.8) by 2018, with a decrease of 36.3% (95% CI 23.8-46.9) for VT IPD and an increase of 101.4% (95% CI 62.0-145.4) for non-VT IPD., Conclusions: Following PCV13 introduction into the Cambodian immunization schedule, there have been declines in VT pneumococcal colonization and disease in children aged <5 years. Modelling of dominant serotype colonization data produced plausible VE estimates., (© The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America.)

Background: Kenya introduced 10-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV10) among children <1 year in 2011 with catch-up vaccination among children 1-4 years in some areas. We assessed changes in pneumococcal carriage and antibiotic susceptibility patterns in children <5 years and adults., Methods: During 2009-2013, we performed annual cross-sectional pneumococcal carriage surveys in 2 sites: Kibera (children <5 years) and Lwak (children <5 years, adults). Only Lwak had catch-up vaccination. Nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal (adults only) swabs underwent culture for pneumococci; isolates were serotyped. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed on isolates from 2009 and 2013; penicillin nonsusceptible pneumococci (PNSP) was defined as penicillin-intermediate or -resistant. Changes in pneumococcal carriage by age (<1 year, 1-4 years, adults), site, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) status (adults only) were calculated using modified Poisson regression, with 2009-2010 as baseline., Results: We enrolled 2962 children (2073 in Kibera, 889 in Lwak) and 2590 adults (2028 HIV+, 562 HIV-). In 2013, PCV10-type carriage was 10.3% (Lwak) to 14.6% (Kibera) in children <1 year and 13.8% (Lwak) to 18.7% (Kibera) in children 1-4 years. This represents reductions of 60% and 63% among children <1 year and 52% and 60% among children 1-4 years in Kibera and Lwak, respectively. In adults, PCV10-type carriage decreased from 12.9% to 2.8% (HIV+) and from 11.8% to 0.7% (HIV-). Approximately 80% of isolates were PNSP, both in 2009 and 2013., Conclusions: PCV10-type carriage declined in children <5 years and adults post-PCV10 introduction. However, PCV10-type and PNSP carriage persisted in children regardless of catch-up vaccination., (© The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America.)

In sub-Saharan Africa, bacterial meningitis remains a significant public health problem, especially in the countries of the meningitis belt, where Neisseria meningitidis serogroup A historically caused large-scale epidemics. In 2014, MenAfriNet was established as a consortium of partners supporting strategic implementation of case-based meningitis surveillance to monitor meningitis epidemiology and impact of meningococcal serogroup A conjugate vaccine (MACV). MenAfriNet improved data quality through use of standardized tools, procedures, and laboratory diagnostics. MenAfriNet surveillance and study data provided evidence of ongoing MACV impact, characterized the burden of non-serogroup A meningococcal disease (including the emergence of a new epidemic clone of serogroup C), and documented the impact of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine. New vaccines and schedules have been proposed for future implementation to address the remaining burden of meningitis. To support the goals of "Defeating Meningitis by 2030," MenAfriNet will continue to strengthen surveillance and support research and modeling to monitor the impact of these programs on meningitis burden in sub-Saharan Africa., (© The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America.)

Background: Bacterial meningitis is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in sub-Saharan Africa. We analyzed data from the World Health Organization's (WHO) Invasive Bacterial Vaccine-preventable Diseases Surveillance Network (2011-2016) to describe the epidemiology of laboratory-confirmed Streptococcus pneumoniae (Spn), Neisseria meningitidis, and Haemophilus influenzae meningitis within the WHO African Region. We also evaluated declines in vaccine-type pneumococcal meningitis following pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) introduction., Methods: Reports of meningitis in children <5 years old from sentinel surveillance hospitals in 26 countries were classified as suspected, probable, or confirmed. Confirmed meningitis cases were analyzed by age group and subregion (South-East and West-Central). We described case fatality ratios (CFRs), pathogen distribution, and annual changes in serotype and serogroup, including changes in vaccine-type Spn meningitis following PCV introduction., Results: Among 49 844 reported meningitis cases, 1670 (3.3%) were laboratory-confirmed. Spn (1007/1670 [60.3%]) was the most commonly detected pathogen; vaccine-type Spn meningitis cases declined over time. CFR was the highest for Spn meningitis: 12.9% (46/357) in the South-East subregion and 30.9% (89/288) in the West-Central subregion. Meningitis caused by N. meningitidis was more common in West-Central than South-East Africa (321/954 [33.6%] vs 110/716 [15.4%]; P < .0001). Haemophilus influenzae (232/1670 [13.9%]) was the least prevalent organism., Conclusions: Spn was the most common cause of pediatric bacterial meningitis in the African region even after reported cases declined following PCV introduction. Sustaining robust surveillance is essential to monitor changes in pathogen distribution and to inform and guide vaccination policies., (© The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America.)

Background: Streptococcus pneumoniae is a leading cause of pneumonia and meningitis in children aged <5 years. Zimbabwe introduced 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) in 2012 using a 3-dose infant schedule with no booster dose or catch-up campaign. We evaluated the impact of PCV13 on pediatric pneumonia and meningitis., Methods: We examined annual changes in the proportion of hospitalizations due to pneumonia and meningitis among children aged <5 years at Harare Central Hospital (HCH) pre-PCV13 (January 2010-June 2012) and post-PCV13 (July 2013-December 2016) using a negative binomial regression model, adjusting for seasonality. We also evaluated post-PCV13 changes in serotype distribution among children with confirmed pneumococcal meningitis at HCH and acute respiratory infection (ARI) trends using Ministry of Health outpatient data., Results: Pneumonia hospitalizations among children aged <5 years steadily declined pre-PCV13; no significant change in annual decline was observed post-PCV13. Post-PCV13 introduction, meningitis hospitalization decreased 30% annually (95% confidence interval [CI], -42, -14) among children aged 12-59 months, and no change was observed among children aged 0-11 months. Pneumococcal meningitis caused by PCV13 serotypes decreased from 100% in 2011 to 50% in 2016. Annual severe and moderate outpatient ARI decreased by 30% (95% CI, -33, -26) and 7% (95% CI, -11, -2), respectively, post-PCV13 introduction., Conclusions: We observed declines in pediatric meningitis hospitalizations, PCV13-type pneumococcal meningitis, and severe and moderate ARI outpatient visits post-PCV13 introduction. Low specificity of discharge codes, changes in referral patterns, and improvements in human immunodeficiency virus care may have contributed to the lack of additional declines in pneumonia hospitalizations post-PCV13 introduction., (© The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: Pneumococcus is a leading cause of pneumonia and meningitis. Zambia introduced a 10-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV10) in July 2013 using a 3-dose primary series at ages 6, 10, and 14 weeks with no booster. We evaluated the impact of PCV10 on meningitis and pneumonia hospitalizations., Methods: Using hospitalization data from first-level care hospitals, available at the Ministry of Health, and from the largest pediatric referral hospital in Lusaka, we identified children aged <5 years who were hospitalized with pneumonia or meningitis from January 2010-December 2016. We used time-series analyses to measure the effect of PCV10 on monthly case counts by outcome and age group (<1 year, 1-4 years), accounting for seasonality. We defined the pre- and post-PCV10 periods as January 2010-June 2013 and July 2014-December 2016, respectively., Results: At first-level care hospitals, pneumonia and meningitis hospitalizations among children aged <5 years accounted for 108 884 and 1742 admissions in the 42 months pre-PCV10, respectively, and 44 715 and 646 admissions in the 30 months post-PCV10, respectively. Pneumonia hospitalizations declined by 37.8% (95% confidence interval [CI] 21.4-50.3%) and 28.8% (95% CI 17.7-38.7%) among children aged <1 year and 1-4 years, respectively, while meningitis hospitalizations declined by 72.1% (95% CI 63.2-79.0%) and 61.6% (95% CI 50.4-70.8%), respectively, in these age groups. In contrast, at the referral hospital, pneumonia hospitalizations remained stable and a smaller but significant decline in meningitis was observed among children aged 1-4 years (39.3%, 95% CI 16.2-57.5%)., Conclusions: PCV10 introduction was associated with declines in meningitis and pneumonia hospitalizations in Zambia, especially in first-level care hospitals., (© The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: Infectious disease epidemiology has changed over time, reflecting improved clinical interventions and emergence of threats such as antimicrobial resistance. This study investigated infectious disease hospitalizations in the United States from 2001 to 2014., Methods: Estimated rates of infectious disease hospitalizations were calculated by using the National (Nationwide) Inpatient Sample. Infectious disease hospitalizations were defined as hospitalizations with a principal discharge diagnosis of an infectious disease. Diagnoses according to site of infection and sepsis were examined, as was occurrence of in-hospital death. The leading nonsepsis infectious disease secondary diagnoses for hospitalizations with a principal diagnosis of sepsis were identified., Results: The mean annual age-adjusted infectious disease hospitalization rate was 1,468.2 (95% CI, 1,459.9-1,476.4) per 100,000 population; in-hospital death occurred in 4.22% (95% CI, 4.18-4.25) of infectious disease hospitalizations. The mean annual age-adjusted infectious disease hospitalization rate increased from 2001-2003 to 2012-2014 (rate ratio, 1.05; 95% CI, 1.01-1.09), as did the percentage of in-hospital death (4.21% [95% CI, 4.13-4.29] to 4.30% [95% CI, 4.26-4.35]; P = .049). The diagnoses with the highest hospitalization rates among all sites of infection and sepsis diagnoses were the lower respiratory tract followed by sepsis. The most common nonsepsis infectious disease secondary diagnoses among sepsis hospitalizations were "urinary tract infection," "pneumonia, organism unspecified," and "intestinal infection due to Clostridium [Clostridioides] difficile.", Conclusions: Although hospital discharge data are subject to limitations, particularly for tracking sepsis, lower respiratory tract infections and sepsis seem to be important contributors to infectious disease hospitalizations. Prevention of infections that lead to sepsis and improvements in sepsis management would decrease the burden of infectious disease hospitalizations and improve outcomes, respectively., (Copyright © 2019 American College of Chest Physicians. All rights reserved.)

Background: Vaccination of children with 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) led to declines in vaccine-type pneumococcal nasopharyngeal carriage among adults through indirect effects. In August 2014, PCV13 immunization of all U.S. adults ≥65 years of age was recommended. This study sought to define prevalence and serotype distribution of pneumococcal carriage among adults ≥65 years of age and to describe risk factors for colonization soon after introduction of PCV13 in adults., Methods: A cross-sectional survey of non-institutionalized U.S. adults ≥65 years of age was conducted in four states in 2015-2016. Demographic information, risk factors for disease, PCV13 vaccination history, and nasopharyngeal (NP) and oropharyngeal (OP) swabs were collected. NP and OP swabs were processed separately and pneumococcal isolates were serotyped by Quellung reaction. Antimicrobial susceptibility of pneumococcal isolates was performed. NP swabs also underwent real-time PCR for pneumococcal detection and serotyping., Results: Of 2989 participants, 45.3% (1354/2989) had been vaccinated with PCV13. Fifty-five (1.8%) carried pneumococcus (45 identified by culture and 10 by real-time PCR only) and PCV13 serotypes were found in eight (0.3%) participants. Almost half (22/45) of pneumococcal isolates were not susceptible to at least one of the antibiotics tested. Vaccine-type carriage among vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals was similar (0.2% vs. 0.1%, respectively). Respiratory symptoms were associated with higher odds of pneumococcal colonization (adjusted OR: 2.1; 95% CI = 1.1-3.8)., Conclusions: Pneumococcal carriage among non-institutionalized adults ≥65 years of age was very low. Less than 0.5% of both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals in our study carried vaccine-type serotypes. Over a decade of PCV vaccination of children likely led to indirect effects in adults. However, given the low vaccine-type carriage rates we observed in an already high PCV13 adult coverage setting, it is difficult to attribute our findings to the direct versus indirect effects of PCV13 on adult carriage., (Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Backgound: Economic evaluations of interventions to prevent healthcare-associated infections in the United States rarely take the societal perspective and thus ignore the potential benefits of morbidity and mortality risk reductions. Using new Department of Health and Human Services guidelines for regulatory impact analysis, we developed a cost-benefit analyses of a national multifaceted, in-hospital Clostridioides difficile infection prevention program (including staffing an antibiotic stewardship program) that incorporated value of statistical life estimates to obtain economic values associated with morbidity and mortality risk reductions., Methods: We used a net present value model to assess costs and benefits associated with antibiotic stewardship programs. Model inputs included treatment costs, intervention costs, healthcare-associated Clostridioides difficile infection cases, attributable deaths, and the value of statistical life which was used to estimate the economic value of morbidity and mortality risk reductions., Results: From 2015 to 2020, total net benefits of the intervention to the healthcare system range from $300 million to $7.6 billion when values for morbidity and mortality risk reductions are ignored. Including these values, the net social benefits of the intervention range from $21 billion to $624 billion with the annualized net benefit of $25.5 billion under our most likely outcome scenario., Conclusions: Incorporating the economic value of morbidity and mortality risk reductions in economic evaluations of healthcare-associated infections will significantly increase the benefits resulting from prevention., Competing Interests: Not applicable.Has been obtained by all authors.The authors declare that they have no competing interests.Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Streptococcus pneumoniae is a highly impactful bacterial pathogen on a global scale. The principal pneumococcal virulence factor and target of effective vaccines is its polysaccharide capsule, of which there are many structurally distinct forms. Here, we describe four distinct strains of three Mitis group commensal species ( Streptococcus infantis , Streptococcus mitis , and Streptococcus oralis ) recovered from upper respiratory tract specimens from adults in Kenya and the United States that were PCR-positive for the pneumococcal serotype 5 specific gene, wzy5 . For each of the four strains, the 15 genes comprising the capsular polysaccharide biosynthetic gene cluster ( cps5 ) shared the same order found in serotype 5 pneumococci, and each of the serotype 5-specific genes from the serotype 5 pneumococcal reference strain shared 76-99% sequence identity with the non-pneumococcal counterparts. Double-diffusion experiments demonstrated specific reactivity of the non-pneumococcal strains with pneumococcal serotype 5 typing sera. Antiserum raised against S. mitis strain KE67013 specifically reacted with serotype 5 pneumococci for a positive Quellung reaction and stimulated serotype 5 specific opsonophagocytic killing of pneumococci. Four additional commensal strains, identified using PCR serotyping assays on pharyngeal specimens, revealed loci highly homologous to those of pneumococci of serotypes 12F, 15A, 18C, and 33F. These data, in particular the species and strain diversity shown for serotype 5, highlight the existence of a broad non-pneumococcal species reservoir in the upper respiratory tract for the expression of capsular polysaccharides that are structurally related or identical to those corresponding to epidemiologically significant serotypes. Very little is known about the genetic and antigenic capsular diversity among the vast array of commensal streptococcal strains that represent multiple diverse species. The discovery of serotype 5 strains within three different commensal species suggests that extensive capsular serologic overlap exists between pneumococci and other members of the diverse Mitis group. These findings may have implications for our current understanding of naturally acquired immunity to S. pneumoniae and pneumococcal serotype distributions in different global regions. Further characterization of commensal strains carrying homologs of serotype-specific genes previously thought to be specific for pneumococci of known serotypes may shed light on the evolution of these important loci.

Streptococcus pneumoniae's polysaccharide capsule is an important virulence factor; vaccine-induced immunity to specific capsular polysaccharide effectively prevents disease. Serotype 1 S. pneumoniae is rarely found in healthy persons, but is highly invasive and a common cause of meningitis outbreaks and invasive disease outside of the United States. Here we show that genes for polysaccharide capsule similar to those expressed by pneumococci were commonly detected by polymerase chain reaction among upper respiratory tract samples from older US adults not carrying pneumococci. Serotype 1-specific genes were predominantly detected. In five oropharyngeal samples tested, serotype 1 gene belonging to S. mitis expressed capsules immunologically indistinct from pneumococcal capsules. Whole genome sequencing revealed three distinct S. mitis clones, each representing a cps1 operon highly similar to the pneumococcal cps1 reference operon. These findings raise important questions about the contribution of commensal streptococci to natural immunity against pneumococci, a leading cause of mortality worldwide.

Background: Pneumococcal carriage is a precursor of invasive pneumococcal disease. Mozambique introduced 10-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV10) in April 2013, using a 3-dose schedule without a booster. We evaluated PCV10 impact on pneumococcal carriage and colonization density by HIV status., Methods: We conducted 2 cross-sectional surveys (pre and post PCV10 introduction) among children 6 weeks to 59 months old. Participants included HIV-infected children presenting for routine care at outpatient clinics and a random sample of HIV-uninfected children from the community. We collected demographic data, vaccination history and nasopharyngeal swabs. Swabs were cultured and isolates serotyped by Quellung. We selected serotypes 11A, 19A and 19F for bacterial density analyses. We compared vaccine-type (VT) carriage prevalence from the pre-PCV10 with the post-PCV10 period by HIV status., Findings: Prevalence of VT carriage declined from 35.9% (110/306) pre already defined in the background. It should be pre-PCV (PCV) to 20.7% (36/174 fully vaccinated) post PCV (P < 0.001) in HIV-uninfected and from 34.8% (144/414) to 19.7% (27/137 fully vaccinated) (P = 0.002) in HIV-infected children. Colonization prevalence for the 3 serotypes (3, 6A, 19A) included in the 13-valent PCV but not in PCV10 increased from 12.4% (38/306) to 20.7% (36/174 fully vaccinated) (P = 0.009) among HIV- uninfected children, mainly driven by 19A; no significant increase was observed in HIV-infected children. VT carriage among unvaccinated children decreased by 30% (P = 0.005) in HIV-infected children, with no significant declines observed in HIV-uninfected children., Conclusion: Declines in VT carriage were observed in both HIV-uninfected and HIV-infected children after PCV10 introduction with an early signal of herd effect especially in HIV-infected children. Ongoing monitoring of increases in 19A carriage and disease is necessary.

Purpose: Premature loss of primary teeth can lead to negative consequences in both dentitions. The purpose of this study was to determine the factors associated with the premature loss of primary teeth and the child's socioeconomic status, main caretaker during the day, age range, sex, and previous caries experience. Methods: A total of 192 two- to 10-year-old Brazilian schoolchildren, seen at the Vila Velha University pediatric dental clinic, were assigned to two groups: the primary tooth loss group (PTLG) and a control group without tooth loss (CG)-from May 2016 to March 2017. Two calibrated examiners conducted the children's clinical oral assessments to determine caries experience and tooth loss with the decayed, missing, and filled tooth (dmft) index. Socioeconomic status was assessed using the Brazilian government's socioeconomic classification criteria. A sociodemographic questionnaire regarding the child's age, sex and whom she spent the day with was conducted. Results: There were 94 children in the PTLG and 98 in the CG. Variables associated with the prevalence of tooth loss were spending the day without the mother ( P <0.001; odds ratio [OR] = 6.2), higher dmft scores ( P <0.01; OR=3.1), and worse socioeconomic and educational status ( P =0.01; OR=1.9). Age and sex were not associated with primary tooth loss. Conclusion: Premature loss of primary teeth is associated with poor oral health status, spending the day without mother's care, and low socioeconomic status.

Background: Increases in pneumococcal meningitis were reported from Ghanaian regions that lie in the meningitis belt in 2016-2017, despite introduction of 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) in 2012 using a 3-dose schedule (6, 10, and 14 weeks). We describe pneumococcal meningitis epidemiology in the Ghanaian Northern and Upper West regions across two meningitis seasons., Methods: Suspected meningitis cases were identified using World Health Organization standard definitions. Pneumococcal meningitis was confirmed if pneumococcus was the sole pathogen detected by polymerase chain reaction, culture, or latex agglutination in cerebrospinal fluid collected from a person with suspected meningitis during December 2015-March 2017. Pneumococcal serotyping was done using PCR. Annual age-specific pneumococcal meningitis incidence (cases per 100,000 population) was calculated, adjusting for suspected meningitis cases lacking confirmatory testing., Findings: Among 153 pneumococcal meningitis cases, 137 (89.5%) were serotyped; 100 (73.0%) were PCV13-type, including 85 (62.0%) that were serotype 1, a PCV13-targeted serotype. Persons aged ≥5 years accounted for 96.7% (148/153) of cases. Comparing 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 seasons, the proportion of non-serotype 1 PCV13-type cases decreased from 20.0% (9/45) to 4.1% (3/74) (p = 0.008), whereas the proportion that was serotype 1 was stable (71.1% (32/45) vs. 58.1% (43/74); p = 0.16). Estimated adjusted pneumococcal meningitis incidence was 1.8 in children aged <5 years and ranged from 6.8-10.5 in older children and adults., Conclusions: High pneumococcal meningitis incidence with a large proportion of serotype 1 disease in older children and adults suggests infant PCV13 vaccination has not induced herd protection with this schedule in this high-transmission setting., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Background: Pneumococcal colonization is a precursor to pneumonia, and pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCV) can decrease vaccine-type (VT) colonization. Pneumococcal colonization studies are traditionally done among healthy children in the community; however, VT colonization prevalence may differ between these children and those with pneumonia. We assessed overall and VT pneumococcal colonization and factors associated with colonization among children with and without pneumonia after Mozambique introduced 10-valent PCV (PCV10) in 2013., Methods: We used data from ongoing pneumonia surveillance in children aged <5 years and from cross-sectional nasopharyngeal colonization surveys conducted in October 2014 -April 2015 and October 2015 -May 2016. Pneumonia was defined using WHO standard criteria for radiologically confirmed pneumonia. Children with pneumonia enrolled from January 2014 -April 2016 were compared to children without pneumonia enrolled from the cross-sectional surveys. Clinical data and nasopharyngeal (NP) swabs were collected from each child. NP specimens were cultured for pneumococci, and culture-negative specimens from children with pneumonia underwent polymerase chain reaction (PCR)., Results: Of 778 and 927 children with and without pneumonia, 97.4% and 27.0% were exposed to antibiotics before swab collection, respectively. Based on culture, pneumococcal colonization was 45.1% for children with and 84.5% for children without pneumonia (P<0.001); VT pneumococcal colonization was 18.6% for children with and 23.4% for children without pneumonia (P = 0.02). The addition of PCR in children with pneumonia increased overall and VT-pneumococcal colonization to 79.2% and 31.1%, respectively. In multivariable analysis including PCR results, pneumonia was associated with VT pneumococcal colonization (adjusted OR: 1.4, 95%CI: 1.10-1.78)., Conclusion: Vaccine-type pneumococcal colonization remains common among children with and without pneumonia post-PCV10 introduction in Mozambique. In a population of children with high antibiotic exposure, the use of PCR for culture-negative NP swabs can improve assessment of pneumococcal colonization and circulating serotypes., Competing Interests: Dr. Beutel Sigauque currently works for John Snow, Inc with the Maternal and Child Survival Program in Mozambique. However, at the time this work was done, Dr. Sigauque was an employee of Fundação Manhiça / Centro de Investigação em Saúde da Manhiça (CISM), Maputo, Moçambique. This change in affiliation does not alter our adherence to PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials. There are no other conflicts of interest to declare.

Background: Limited data are available on the effectiveness of 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) in resource-poor settings and PCV naïve populations. The Dominican Republic introduced PCV13 in September 2013 using a 2 + 1 schedule (2, 4, and 12 months) without a catch-up campaign. We evaluated PCV13 effectiveness against vaccine-type (VT) invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) among children in the Dominican Republic., Methods: We conducted a matched case-control study. A case-patient was defined as VT-IPD identified by culture or polymerase chain reaction (PCR) from a normally sterile-site in a hospitalized child who was age-eligible to have received ≥1 PCV13 dose. Four age- and neighborhood-matched controls were enrolled for each case-patient. We collected demographic, vaccination history, and risk factor data. Conditional logistic regression was performed. Vaccine effectiveness was calculated as (1- adjusted matched odds ratio for vaccination) X 100%., Results: We enrolled 39 case-patients and 149 matched-controls. Most case-patients had pneumonia with pleural effusion (64%), followed by meningitis (28%) and septicemia (13%). The most common pneumococcal serotypes identified included 14 (18%), 3 (13%), 19A (10%), and 1 (8%). Fewer case-patients had ≥1 PCV13 dose as compared to controls (61.5% vs. 80.0%; p = 0.006). Adjusting for malnutrition and socioeconomic status, VE of ≥1 PCV13 dose compared to no doses was 67.2% (95% CI: 2.3% to 90.0%). Only 44% of controls were up-to-date for PCV13, suggesting low vaccine coverage in the population., Conclusions: We found that PCV13 provided individual protection against VT-IPD in this resource-poor setting with a PCV-naïve population, despite low PCV13 coverage. Expanding vaccination coverage might increase PCV13 impact.

Bacterial meningitis is a severe, acute infection of the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord that can rapidly lead to death. Even with recommended antibiotic treatment, up to 25% of infected persons in Africa might experience neurologic sequelae (1). Three regions in northern Ghana (Upper East, Northern, and Upper West), located in the sub-Saharan "meningitis belt" that extends from Senegal to Ethiopia, experienced periodic outbreaks of meningitis before introduction of serogroup A meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MenAfriVac) in 2012 (2,3). During December 9, 2015-February 16, 2016, a total of 432 suspected meningitis cases were reported to health authorities in these three regions. The Ghana Ministry of Health, with assistance from CDC and other partners, tested cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimens from 286 patients. In the first 4 weeks of the outbreak, a high percentage of cases were caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae; followed by an increase in cases caused by Neisseria meningitidis, predominantly serogroup W. These data facilitated Ghana's request to the International Coordinating Group* for meningococcal polysaccharide ACW vaccine, which was delivered to persons in the most affected districts. Rapid identification of the etiologic agent causing meningitis outbreaks is critical to inform targeted public health and clinical interventions, including vaccination, clinical management, and contact precautions.