Association of Influenza Activity and Environmental Conditions With the Risk of Invasive Pneumococcal Disease

Berry, Isha; Tuite, Ashleigh R.; Salomon, Angela; Drews, Steven J.; Harris, Anthony D.; Hatchette, Todd F.; Johnson, Caroline C.; Kwong, Jeff; Lojo, José; McGeer, Allison; Mermel, Leonard A.; Ng, Victoria; Fisman, David N.

doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.10167

Cited by 12 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 47 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…For example, the high mortality of the 1918 influenza pandemic was strongly associated with post-viral pneumonia caused by S pneumoniae in the absence of antimicrobials to treat bacterial pneumonia. 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 Therefore, there is potential for increased rates of invasive bacterial diseases subsequent to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Alternatively, containment measures initiated in many countries to reduce viral transmission could result in decreased invasive disease due to a concomitant reduction in transmission of respiratory-associated bacteria.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes in the incidence of invasive disease due to Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, and Neisseria meningitidis during the COVID-19 pandemic in 26 countries and territories in the Invasive Respiratory Infection Surveillance Initiative: a prospective analysis of surveillance data

Brueggemann

Rensburg

Shaw

et al. 2021

The Lancet Digital Health

322

261

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, and Neisseria meningitidis, which are typically transmitted via respiratory droplets, are leading causes of invasive diseases, including bacteraemic pneumonia and meningitis, and of secondary infections subsequent to post-viral respiratory disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence of invasive disease due to these pathogens during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. MethodsIn this prospective analysis of surveillance data, laboratories in 26 countries and territories across six continents submitted data on cases of invasive disease due to S pneumoniae, H influenzae, and N meningitidis from Jan 1, 2018, to May, 31, 2020, as part of the Invasive Respiratory Infection Surveillance (IRIS) Initiative. Numbers of weekly cases in 2020 were compared with corresponding data for 2018 and 2019. Data for invasive disease due to Streptococcus agalactiae, a non-respiratory pathogen, were collected from nine laboratories for comparison. The stringency of COVID-19 containment measures was quantified using the Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker. Changes in population movements were assessed using Google COVID-19 Community Mobility Reports. Interrupted time-series modelling quantified changes in the incidence of invasive disease due to S pneumoniae, H influenzae, and N meningitidis in 2020 relative to when containment measures were imposed. Findings 27 laboratories from 26 countries and territories submitted data to the IRIS Initiative for S pneumoniae (62 434 total cases), 24 laboratories from 24 countries submitted data for H influenzae (7796 total cases), and 21 laboratories from 21 countries submitted data for N meningitidis (5877 total cases). All countries and territories had experienced a significant and sustained reduction in invasive diseases due to S pneumoniae, H influenzae, and N meningitidis in early 2020 (Jan 1 to May 31, 2020), coinciding with the introduction of COVID-19 containment measures in each country. By contrast, no significant changes in the incidence of invasive S agalactiae infections were observed. Similar trends were observed across most countries and territories despite differing stringency in COVID-19 control policies. The incidence of reported S pneumoniae infections decreased by 68% at 4 weeks (incidence rate ratio 0•32 [95% CI 0•27-0•37]) and 82% at 8 weeks (0•18 [0•14-0•23]) following the week in which significant changes in population movements were recorded. Interpretation The introduction of COVID-19 containment policies and public information campaigns likely reduced transmission of S pneumoniae, H influenzae, and N meningitidis, leading to a significant reduction in life-threatening invasive diseases in many countries worldwide.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes in the incidence of invasive disease due to Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, and Neisseria meningitidis during the COVID-19 pandemic in 26 countries and territories in the Invasive Respiratory Infection Surveillance Initiative: a prospective analysis of surveillance data

Brueggemann

Rensburg

Shaw

et al. 2021

The Lancet Digital Health

322

261

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Altered transmission of other species inhabiting the nasopharyngeal microbiome could also have contributed to the reduced IPD cases ( Bogaert et al., 2004 ). Viral respiratory infections are known to be associated with IPDs ( Weiser et al., 2018 ; Berry et al., 2020 ). Therefore, a more fitting hypothesis, and previously raised by Smith et al ( Smith and Opatowski, 2021 ), is that the COVID-19 containment measures reduced the overall respiratory viral circulation, which could have eventually impacted the incidence of IPD in children.…”

Section: The Belgian Situation: Stringent Measures But High Pneumococcal Carriage Ratesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Infant Pneumococcal Carriage in Belgium Not Affected by COVID-19 Containment Measures

Willen

Ekinci

Cuypers

et al. 2022

Front. Cell. Infect. Microbiol.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Streptococcus pneumoniae is an important and frequently carried respiratory pathogen that has the potential to cause serious invasive diseases, such as pneumonia, meningitis, and sepsis. Young children and older adults are among the most vulnerable to developing serious disease. With the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic and the concomitant restrictive measures, invasive disease cases caused by respiratory bacterial species, including pneumococci, decreased substantially. Notably, the stringency of the containment measures as well as the visible reduction in the movement of people appeared to coincide with the drop in invasive disease cases. One could argue that wearing protective masks and adhering to social distancing guidelines to halt the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, also led to a reduction in the person-to-person transmission of respiratory bacterial species. Although plausible, this conjecture is challenged by novel data obtained from our nasopharyngeal carriage study which is performed yearly in healthy daycare center attending children. A sustained and high pneumococcal carriage rate was observed amid periods of stringent restrictive measures. This finding prompts us to revisit the connection between nasopharyngeal colonization and invasion and invites us to look closer at the nasopharyngeal microbiome as a whole.

show abstract

“…Specifically, influenza virus and other respiratory virus co-infections have been associated with increased S. pneumoniae carriage density through modifications of the microenvironment and facilitating S. pneumoniae growth in respiratory sites of colonization 157 , 163 . Furthermore, influenza virus co-infection has been associated with increased IPD risk 164 – 166 ; however, this synergistic relationship may differ across species of respiratory viruses that cause co-infection with S. pneumoniae 157 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on community respiratory virus activity

2022

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) caused substantial global morbidity and deaths, leading governments to turn to non-pharmaceutical interventions to slow down the spread of infection and lessen the burden on health care systems. These policies have evolved over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, including after the availability of COVID-19 vaccines, with regional and country-level differences in their ongoing use. The COVID-19 pandemic has been associated with changes in respiratory virus infections worldwide, which have differed between virus types. Reductions in respiratory virus infections, including by influenza virus and respiratory syncytial virus, were most notable at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and continued in varying degrees through subsequent waves of SARS-CoV-2 infections. The decreases in community infection burden have resulted in reduced hospitalizations and deaths associated with non-SARS-CoV-2 respiratory infections. Respiratory virus evolution relies on the maintaining of a diverse genetic pool, but evidence of genetic bottlenecking brought on by case reduction during the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in reduced genetic diversity of some respiratory viruses, including influenza virus. By describing the differences in these changes between viral species across different geographies over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, we may better understand the complex factors involved in community co-circulation of respiratory viruses.

show abstract

Association of Influenza Activity and Environmental Conditions With the Risk of Invasive Pneumococcal Disease

Cited by 12 publications

References 47 publications

Changes in the incidence of invasive disease due to Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, and Neisseria meningitidis during the COVID-19 pandemic in 26 countries and territories in the Invasive Respiratory Infection Surveillance Initiative: a prospective analysis of surveillance data

Changes in the incidence of invasive disease due to Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, and Neisseria meningitidis during the COVID-19 pandemic in 26 countries and territories in the Invasive Respiratory Infection Surveillance Initiative: a prospective analysis of surveillance data

Infant Pneumococcal Carriage in Belgium Not Affected by COVID-19 Containment Measures

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on community respiratory virus activity

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About