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Context: Pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine is recommended for elderly persons and adults with certain chronic illnesses. Additionally, a recently licensed pneumococcal 7-valent conjugate vaccine has been recommended for use in young children and could dramatically change the epidemiology of pneumococcal disease.Objectives: To assess pneumococcal disease burden in the United States, estimate the potential impact of new vaccines, and identify gaps in vaccine recommendations.Design and Setting: Analysis of data from the Active Bacterial Core Surveillance (ABCs)/Emerging Infections Program Network, an active, population-based system in 9 states.Patients: A total of 15 860 cases of invasive pneumococcal disease occurring between January 1, 1995, and December 31, 1998.Main Outcome Measures: Age- and race-specific pneumoccocal disease incidence rates per 100 000 persons, case-fatality rates, and vaccine preventability.Results: In 1998, overall incidence was 23.2 cases per 100 000, corresponding to an estimated 62 840 cases in the United States. Incidence was highest among children younger than 2 years (166.9) and adults aged 65 years or older (59.7). Incidence among blacks was 2.6 times higher than among whites (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.4-2.8). Overall, 28.6% of case-patients were at least 65 years old and 85.9% of cases in this age group were due to serotypes included in the 23-valent polysaccharide vaccine; 19.3% of case-patients were younger than 2 years and 82.2% of cases in this age group were due to serotypes included in the 7-valent conjugate vaccine. Among patients aged 2 to 64 years, 50.6% had a vaccine indication as defined by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). The case-fatality rate among patients aged 18 to 64 years with an ACIP indication was 12.1% compared with 5.4% for those without an indication (relative risk, 2.2; 95% CI, 1.7-2.9).Conclusions: Young children, elderly persons, and black persons of all ages are disproportionately affected by invasive pneumococcal disease. Current ACIP recommendations do not address a subset of persons aged 18 to 64 years but do include those at highest risk for death from invasive pneumococcal disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES: This study examined epidemiologic factors affecting mortality from pneumococcal pneumonia in 1995 through 1997. METHODS: Persons residing in a surveillance area who had community-acquired pneumonia requiring hospitalization and Streptococcus pneumoniae isolated from a sterile site were included in the analysis. Factors affecting mortality were evaluated in univariate and multivariate analyses. The number of deaths from pneumococcal pneumonia requiring hospitalization in the United States in 1996 was estimated. RESULTS: Of 5837 cases, 12% were fatal. Increased mortality was associated with older age, underlying disease. Asian race, and residence in Toronto/Peel, Ontario. When these factors were controlled for, increased mortality was not associated with resistance to penicillin or cefotaxime. However, when deaths during the first 4 hospital days were excluded, mortality was significantly associated with penicillin minimum inhibitory concentrations of 4.0 or higher and cefotaxime minimum inhibitory concentrations of 2.0 or higher. In 1996, about 7000 to 12,500 deaths occurred in the United States from pneumococcal pneumonia requiring hospitalization. CONCLUSIONS: Older age and underlying disease remain the most important factors influencing death from pneumococcal pneumonia. Mortality was not elevated in most infections with beta-lactam-resistant pneumococci. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article summarizes the results of an analysis of invasive pneumococcal disease in young children before licensure of 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) in the U.S. in 2007. Medical records were reviewed by investigators to identify children aged 24 to 59 months who received the 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine. It was found that among the 427 invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) cases with known serotype in children aged less than 5 years, 274 were caused by serotypes found in PCV13. INSET: What is already known on this topic?.

Background: In 2000, seven-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) was introduced in the USA and resulted in dramatic reductions in invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) and moderate increases in non-PCV7 type IPD. In 2010, PCV13 replaced PCV7 in the US immunisation schedule. We aimed to assess the effect of use of PCV13 in children on IPD in children and adults in the USA., Methods: We used laboratory-based and population-based data on incidence of IPD from the Active Bacterial Core surveillance (part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Emerging Infections Program) in a time-series model to compare rates of IPD before and after the introduction of PCV13. Cases of IPD between July 1, 2004, and June 30, 2013, were classified as being caused by the PCV13 serotypes against which PCV7 has no effect (PCV13 minus PCV7). In a time-series model, we used an expected outcomes approach to compare the reported incidence of IPD to that which would have been expected if PCV13 had not replaced PCV7., Findings: Compared with incidence expected among children younger than 5 years if PCV7 alone had been continued, incidence of IPD overall declined by 64% (95% interval estimate [95% IE] 59-68) and IPD caused by PCV13 minus PCV7 serotypes declined by 93% (91-94), by July, 2012, to June, 2013. Among adults, incidence of IPD overall also declined by 12-32% and IPD caused by PCV13 minus PCV7 type IPD declined by 58-72%, depending on age. We estimated that over 30 000 cases of IPD and 3000 deaths were averted in the first 3 years after the introduction of PCV13., Interpretation: PCV13 reduced IPD across all age groups when used routinely in children in the USA. These findings provide reassurance that, similar to PCV7, PCVs with additional serotypes can also prevent transmission to unvaccinated populations., Funding: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Since the introduction of the Haemophilus influenzae serotype b vaccine, H influenzae epidemiology has shifted. In the United States, the largest burden of disease is now in adults aged ≥65 years. However, few data exist on risk factors for disease severity and outcome in this age group., Methods: A retrospective case-series review of invasive H influenzae infections in patients aged ≥65 years was conducted for hospitalized cases reported to Active Bacterial Core surveillance in 2011., Results: There were 299 hospitalized cases included in the analysis. The majority of cases were caused by nontypeable H influenzae, and the overall case fatality ratio (CFR) was 19.5%. Three or more underlying conditions were present in 63% of cases; 94% of cases had at least 1. Patients with chronic heart conditions (congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease, and/or atrial fibrillation) (odds ratio [OR], 3.27; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.65-6.46), patients from private residences (OR, 8.75; 95% CI, 2.13-35.95), and patients who were not resuscitate status (OR, 2.72; 95% CI, 1.31-5.66) were more likely to be admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). Intensive care unit admission (OR, 3.75; 95% CI, 1.71-8.22) and do not resuscitate status (OR, 12.94; 95% CI, 4.84-34.55) were significantly associated with death., Conclusions: Within this age group, burden of disease and CFR both increased significantly as age increased. Using ICU admission as a proxy for disease severity, our findings suggest several conditions increased risk of disease severity and patients with severe disease were more likely to die. Further research is needed to determine the most effective approach to prevent H influenzae disease and mortality in older adults.

Background: Because pneumococcal pneumonia was prevalent during previous influenza pandemics, we evaluated invasive pneumococcal pneumonia (IPP) rates during the 2009 influenza A(H1N1) pandemic., Methods: We identified laboratory-confirmed, influenza-associated hospitalizations and IPP cases (pneumococcus isolated from normally sterile sites with discharge diagnoses of pneumonia) using active, population-based surveillance in the United States. We compared IPP rates during peak pandemic months (April 2009-March 2010) to mean IPP rates in nonpandemic years (April 2004-March 2009) and, using Poisson models, to 2006-2008 influenza seasons., Results: Higher IPP rates occurred during the peak pandemic month compared to nonpandemic periods in 5-24 (IPP rate per 10 million: 48 vs 9 (95% confidence interval [CI], 5-13), 25-49 (74 vs 53 [CI, 41-65]), 50-64 (188 vs 114 [CI, 85-143]), and ≥65-year-olds (229 vs 187 [CI, 159-216]). In the models with seasonal influenza rates included, observed IPP rates during the pandemic peak were within the predicted 95% CIs, suggesting this increase was not greater than observed with seasonal influenza., Conclusions: The recent influenza pandemic likely resulted in an out-of-season IPP peak among persons ≥5 years. The IPP peak's magnitude was similar to that seen during seasonal influenza epidemics.

Background: Certain chronic diseases increase risk for invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) and are indications for receipt of 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV23). Since the pediatric introduction of 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) in 2000, incidence of IPD among adults has declined. The relative magnitude of these indirect effects among persons with and without PPV23 indications is unknown., Methods: We evaluated IPD incidence among adults with and without PPV23 indications using population- and laboratory-based data collected during 1998-2009 and estimates of the denominator populations with PPV23 indications from the National Health Interview Survey. We compared rates before and after PCV7 use by age, race, PPV23 indication, and serotype., Results: The proportion of adult IPD cases with PPV23 indications increased from 51% before to 61% after PCV7 introduction (P < .0001). PCV7-serotype IPD declined among all race, age, and PPV23 indication strata, ranging from 82% to 97%. Overall IPD rates declined in most strata, by up to 65%. However, incidence remained highest among adults with PPV23 indications compared with those without (34.9 vs 8.8 cases per 100 000 population, respectively). Apart from age ≥65 years, diabetes is now the most common indication for PPV23 (20% of all cases vs 10% of cases in 1998-1999)., Conclusions: Although IPD rates have declined among adults, adults with underlying conditions remain at increased risk of IPD and comprise a larger proportion of adult IPD cases in 2009 compared with 2000. A continued increase in the prevalence of diabetes among US adults could lead to increased burden of pneumococcal disease.

A 44-year-old woman with long-standing common variable immunodeficiency who was receiving intravenous immune globulin suddenly had paralysis of all four limbs and the respiratory muscles, resulting in death. Type 2 vaccine-derived poliovirus was isolated from stool. The viral capsid protein VP1 region had diverged from the vaccine strain at 12.3% of nucleotide positions, and the two attenuating substitutions had reverted to the wild-type sequence. Infection probably occurred 11.9 years earlier (95% confidence interval [CI], 10.9 to 13.2), when her child received the oral poliovirus vaccine. No secondary cases were identified among close contacts or 2038 screened health care workers. Patients with common variable immunodeficiency can be chronically infected with poliovirus, and poliomyelitis can develop despite treatment with intravenous immune globulin.

Background: The objective of this study is to determine the costs per hospital admission of screening intensive care unit patients for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and isolating those who are colonized., Methods: Data on the costs of the intervention come from the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Medical Center, a 279-bed teaching hospital and outpatient facility. A microcosting approach is used to determine the intervention costs for 3 different laboratory testing protocols. The costs of caring for MRSA-infected patients come from the experience of 241 Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Medical Center patients with MRSA infections in 2004 through 2006. The effectiveness of the intervention comes from the extant literature. To capture the effect of screening on reducing transmission of MRSA to other patients and its effect on costs, a Markov simulation model was employed., Results: The intervention was cost saving compared with no intervention for all 3 laboratory processes evaluated and for all of the 1-way sensitivity analyses considered., Conclusion: Because of the high cost of caring for a MRSA patient, interventions that reduce the spread of infections-such as screening intensive care unit patients upon admission studied here-are likely to pay for themselves., (Copyright © 2011 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To determine differences in healthcare costs between cases of methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) infection and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) infection in adults., Design: Retrospective study of all cases of S. aureus infection., Setting: Department of Veterans Affairs hospital and associated clinics., Patients: There were 390 patients with MSSA infections and 335 patients with MRSA infections., Methods: We used medical records, accounting systems, and interviews to identify services rendered and costs for Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Medical Center patients with S. aureus infection with onset during the period from January 1, 2004, through June 30, 2006. We used regression analysis to adjust for patient characteristics., Results: Median 6-month unadjusted costs for patients infected with MRSA were $34,657, compared with $15,923 for patients infected with MSSA. Patients with MRSA infection had more comorbidities than patients with MSSA infection (mean Charlson index 4.3 vs 3.2; P < .001). For patients with Charlson indices of 3 or less, mean adjusted 6-month costs derived from multivariate analysis were $51,252 (95% CI, $46,041-$56,464) for MRSA infection and $30,158 (95% CI, $27,092-$33,225) for MSSA infection. For patients with Charlson indices of 4 or more, mean adjusted costs were $84,436 (95% CI, $79,843-$89,029) for MRSA infection and $59,245 (95% CI, $56,016-$62,473) for MSSA infection. Patients with MRSA infection were also more likely to die than were patients with MSSA infection (23.6% vs 11.5%; P < .001). MRSA infection was more likely to involve the lungs, bloodstream, and urinary tract, while MSSA infection was more likely to involve bones or joints; eyes, ears, nose, or throat; surgical sites; and skin or soft tissue (P < .001)., Conclusions: Resistance to methicillin in S. aureus was independently associated with increased costs. Effective antimicrobial stewardship and infection prevention programs are needed to prevent these costly infections.

Background: Changes in invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) incidence were evaluated after 7 years of 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) use in US children., Methods: Laboratory-confirmed IPD cases were identified during 1998-2007 by 8 active population-based surveillance sites. We compared overall, age group-specific, syndrome-specific, and serotype group-specific IPD incidence in 2007 with that in 1998-1999 (before PCV7) and assessed potential serotype coverage of new conjugate vaccine formulations., Results: Overall and PCV7-type IPD incidence declined by 45% (from 24.4 to 13.5 cases per 100,000 population) and 94% (from 15.5 to 1.0 cases per 100,000 population), respectively (P< .01 all age groups). The incidence of IPD caused by serotype 19A and other non-PCV7 types increased from 0.8 to 2.7 cases per 100,000 population and from 6.1 to 7.9 cases per 100,000 population, respectively (P< .01 for all age groups). The rates of meningitis and invasive pneumonia caused by non-PCV7 types increased for all age groups (P< .05), whereas the rates of primary bacteremia caused by these serotypes did not change. In 2006-2007, PCV7 types caused 2% of IPD cases, and the 6 additional serotypes included in an investigational 13-valent conjugate vaccine caused 63% of IPD cases among children <5 years-old., Conclusions: Dramatic reductions in IPD after PCV7 introduction in the United States remain evident 7 years later. IPD rates caused by serotype 19A and other non-PCV7 types have increased but remain low relative to decreases in PCV7-type IPD.

Background: Serotype 19A invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) increased annually in the United States after the introduction of the 7-valent conjugate vaccine (PCV7). To understand this increase, we characterized serotype 19A isolates recovered during 2005., Methods: IPD cases during 1998-2005 were identified through population-based surveillance. We performed susceptibility testing and multilocus sequence typing on 528 (95%) of 554 serotype 19A isolates reported in 2005., Results: The incidence of IPD due to serotype 19A increased from 0.8 to 2.5 cases per 100,000 population between 1998 and 2005 (P < .05), whereas the overall incidence of IPD decreased from 24.4 to 13.8 cases per 100,000 population (P < .05). Simultaneously, the incidence of IPD due to penicillin-resistant 19A isolates increased from 6.7% to 35% (P < .0001). Of 151 penicillin-resistant 19A isolates, 111 (73.5%) belonged to the rapidly emerging clonal complex 320, which is related to multidrug-resistant Taiwan(19F)-14. The remaining penicillin-resistant strains were highly related to other clones of PCV7 serotypes or to isolates within major 19A clonal complex 199 (CC199). In 1999, only CC199 and 3 minor clones were apparent among serotype 19A isolates. During 2005, 11 multiple-isolate clonal sets were detected, including capsular switch variants of a serotype 4 clone., Conclusions: PCV7 ineffectiveness against serotype 19A, antibiotic resistance, clonal expansion and emergence, and capsular switching have contributed to the genetic diversity of 19A and to its emergence as the predominant invasive pneumococcal serotype in the United States.

Background: The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) was notified of an outbreak of conjunctivitis in city A with cultures positive for Streptococcus pneumoniae., Methods: MDH staff contacted clinics and schools in city A and city B regarding conjunctivitis cases, reviewed clinical findings of conjunctivitis cases in city A and collected isolates for subtyping., Results: Between September 1 and December 12, 2003, cities A and B reported 735 conjunctivitis cases. Fifty-one percent of the cases were reported from schools, childcare centers and colleges. Adults were more likely to report itching, burning or swelling of the eye(s); children were more likely to report crusty eyes (P < 0.05). Forty-nine percent of conjunctival cultures (71 of 144) were positive for S. pneumoniae. All isolates were nontypeable by serotyping. Pulsed field gel electrophoresis identified 3 clonal groups with 84% of isolates belonging to one clonal group. Multilocus sequence typing revealed that isolates had the same multilocus sequence type as isolates from a 2002 outbreak at a New England college., Conclusions: This outbreak was widespread in the community and conjunctivitis clinical presentation varied by age. The predominant strains in this outbreak were related to a pneumococcal strain implicated in prior conjunctivitis outbreaks, suggesting these strains have a predilection for causing conjunctivitis.

Community-specific antimicrobial susceptibility data may help monitor trends among drug-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae and guide empiric therapy. Because active, population-based surveillance for invasive pneumococcal disease is accurate but resource intensive, we compared the proportion of penicillin-nonsusceptible isolates obtained from existing antibiograms, a less expensive system, to that obtained from 1 year of active surveillance for Georgia, Tennessee, California, Minnesota, Oregon, Maryland, Connecticut, and New York. For all sites, proportions of penicillin-nonsusceptible isolates from antibiograms were within 10 percentage points (median 3.65) of those from invasive-only isolates obtained through active surveillance. Only 23% of antibiograms distinguished between isolates intermediate and resistant to penicillin; 63% and 57% included susceptibility results for erythromycin and extended-spectrum cephalosporins, respectively. Aggregating existing hospital antibiograms is a simple and relatively accurate way to estimate local prevalence of penicillin-nonsusceptible pneumococcus; however, antibiograms offer limited data on isolates with intermediate and high-level penicillin resistance and isolates resistant to other agents.

In response to concerns about emerging infections, the Minnesota Department of Health, in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, developed a model emerging infections program in 1995. The authors' experience with the program has demonstrated the key role clinicians have as partners with public health agencies in identifying and reporting disease cases, educating patients about infectious risks, and preventing emerging infections. This partnership is well illustrated by two examples from Minnesota: a recent outbreak of Neisseria meningitidis infection in a rural area and a laboratory surveillance study of invasive and drug-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae infections in a metropolitan area.

1. The context of agriculture in the Midwest, given many smaller, family run operations, presents multiple and complex challenges; occupational health intervention strategies used in other industries are not immediately applicable. 2. Public health nurses in Minnesota's Occupational Health Nurses in Agricultural Communities project (OHNAC) are applying the strategies of community wide health promotion through community organizing for farm health and safety promotion. 3. The theoretical basis for community wide health promotion encompasses theory from several disciplines, and a five stage model for community organization in health promotion has been developed and tested. 4. At the root of tis approach to farm safety is the effort to change long held beliefs and community norms, especially the belief that farm injuries and fatalities are a necessary part of agricultural work.