Twenty-Five Year Trend Change in the Etiology of Pediatric Invasive Bacterial Infections in Korea, 1996–2020

Song, Seung Ha; Lee, Hyunju; Lee, Hoan Jong; Song, Eun Song; Ahn, Jong Gyun; Park, Su Eun; Lee, Taekjin; Cho, Hye‐Kyung; Lee, Jina; Kim, Yae-Jean; Jo, Dae Sun; Kim, Jong-Hyun; Kang, Hyun Mi; Lee, Joon Kee; Kim, Chun Soo; Kim, Dong Hyun; Kim, Hwang Min; Choi, Jae Hong; Eun, Byung Wook; Kim, Nam Hee; Cho, Eun Young; Kim, Yun Kyung; Oh, Chi Eun; Kim, Kyung Hyo; Hyuk, Sang; Jung, Hyun Joo; Lee, Kun Song; Kim, Kwang Nam; Choi, Eunhwa

doi:10.3346/jkms.2023.38.e127

Cited by 4 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 21 publications

(29 reference statements)

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“…The COVID-19 pandemic has been accompanied by significant variations in the global incidence of diseases due to the most common non-SARS-CoV-2 respiratory viruses [ 25 , 26 ] and some bacteria [ 27 , 28 ]. The incidence of respiratory infections was initially reduced, although with differences between infecting agents.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A rapid return to traditional levels was evidenced in some cases. In other cases, low circulation persisted for several months and a return to pre-pandemic levels was reached only after three pandemic years [ 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 ]. Several factors could explain these findings, including the implementation of the various NPIs and the duration of their use.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Epidemiology of Respiratory Infections during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Principi

Autore

Ramundo

et al. 2023

Viruses

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To face the COVID-19 outbreak, a wide range of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) aimed at limiting the spread of the virus in communities, such as mask-wearing, hand hygiene, social distancing, travel restrictions, and school closures, were introduced in most countries. Thereafter, a significant reduction of new asymptomatic and symptomatic COVID-19 cases occurred, although there were differences between countries according to the type and duration of the NPIs. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has been accompanied by significant variations in the global incidence of diseases due to the most common non-SARS-CoV-2 respiratory viruses and some bacteria. In this narrative review, the epidemiology of the most common non-SARS-CoV-2 respiratory infections during the COVID-19 pandemic is detailed. Moreover, factors that could have had a role in modifying the traditional circulation of respiratory pathogens are discussed. A literature analysis shows that NPIs were the most important cause of the general reduction in the incidence of influenza and respiratory syncytial virus infection in the first year of the pandemic, although the different sensitivity of each virus to NPIs, the type and duration of measures used, as well as the interference among viruses may have played a role in modulating viral circulation. Reasons for the increase in the incidences of Streptococcus pneumoniae and group A Streptococcus infections seem strictly linked to immunity debt and the role played by NPIs in reducing viral infections and limiting bacterial superimposed infections. These results highlight the importance of NPIs during pandemics, the need to monitor the circulation of infectious agents that cause diseases similar to those caused by pandemic agents, and the need to make efforts to improve coverage with available vaccines.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Epidemiology of Respiratory Infections during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Principi

Autore

Ramundo

et al. 2023

Viruses

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“…In the current investigation, the results showed a similar trend in bacterial pathogen distribution in pediatric patients, with the following distribution: H. influenzae (34.7%), S. pneumoniae (28.4%), and co-detection with H. influenzae and S. pneumoniae (12.2%). H. influenzae and S. pneumoniae are two of the most prevalent pathogens responsible for causing invasive infections, including pneumonia [ 23 ]. They showed a decreasing trend after the vaccine was introduced, although the prevalence of multidrug-resistant S. pneumoniae has steadily increased in Korea [ 24 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pre-Pandemic Distribution of Bacterial Species in Nasopharyngeal Swab Specimens from Pediatric and Adult Patients Detected via RT-PCR Using the Allplex Respiratory Panel

Lee,

Choi,

Kim

et al. 2023

Life

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Background: Recently, panel-based molecular diagnostics for the simultaneous detection of respiratory viruses and bacteria in nasopharyngeal swab (NPS) specimens have been highlighted. We identified the distribution of bacterial species in NPS specimens collected from pediatric and adult patients by employing RT-PCR (Allplex respiratory panel 4, RP4, Seegene) to estimate its applicability in a panel-based assay for detecting respiratory viruses. Methods: We used 271 and 173 NPS specimens from pediatric and adult patients, respectively. The results of the Allplex RP4 panel using NPS (NPS-RP4) from adult patients were compared with those of the Seeplex PneumoBacter ACE Detection assay (Seegene), which used sputum for testing (sputum-Seeplex). Results: A total of 147 specimens (54.2%) were positive for the NPS-RP4 panel in pediatric patients. There were 94, 77, 10, 3, 3, and 2 specimens that were positive for Haemophilus influenzae (HI), Streptococcus pneumoniae (SP), Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP), Chlamydia pneumoniae (CP), Bordetella pertussis (BP), and B. parapertussis (BPP), respectively. Among 173 adult patients, 39 specimens (22.5%) were positive in the NPS-RP4. Thirty specimens were positive for HI, and 13 were positive for SP. One specimen tested positive for both MP and Legionella pneumophila (LP). CP, BP, and BPP results were all negative. However, 126 specimens (72.8%) had positive results with sputum-Seeplex (99 SP, 59 HI, three LP, and two MP), and the overall percentage of agreement between the two assays was 39.3% in the adult patients. Conclusions: Bacterial species in NPS from more than half of pediatric patients were detected. Performing the Allplex RP4 assay with NPS revealed additional respiratory bacteria that are not detected in current clinical practices, which do not include bacterial testing, demanding the use of sputum specimens. However, the use of NPS showed low agreement with standard assays using sputum in adult patients. Thus, more research is needed to develop a reliable RT-PCR method using NPS specimens in adult patients.

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“…Although almost all children with pneumonia associated with COVID-19 have a favorable outcome, there have been long-term consequences similar to other viral pneumonias. Some studies have also indicated an increase in the incidence of childhood pneumonia post-COVID-19, partly attributed to changes in its etiology ( 1 , 2 ). Additionally, there has been an increase in more severe cases of community-acquired pneumonia in children, possibly due to the reduced exposure to bacterial and viral pathogens and decreased immune system training as a result of non-pharmaceutical interventions implemented during the COVID-19 period, leading to what is known as “immunological debt” ( 3 ).…”

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confidence: 99%