Antimicrobial susceptibility and serotype replacement of Streptococcus pneumoniae in children before and after PCV13 introduction in Taiwan

BACKGROUND

Since 2015, 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) was included in the national immunization program in Taiwan. Subsequently, the serotypes of the main circulating Streptococcus pneumoniae strains have changed. PCV administration is also associated with changes in the antimicrobial susceptibility of S. pneumoniae strains. Therefore, in this study, we analyzed the serotype distribution and antimicrobial susceptibility of S. pneumoniae in pediatric infections.

METHODS

Children with S. pneumoniae infections, including invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) and non-IPD, were enrolled from January 2010 to December 2020. The samples were collected from Mackay Memorial Hospital, MacKay Children's Hospital, and Hsinchu Mackay Hospital in Taiwan. We analyzed the epidemiology of sample collection site, infection diagnosis, and the serotype and antimicrobial susceptibility of S. pneumoniae strains. The study period was divided into time points before and after PCV13 administration.

RESULTS

In total, 322 isolates were collected during the study period. The incidence of IPD declined annually, from 29.7% before 2015 to 7.3% after 2015 (p < 0.001). The prevalence of serotype 19 A had increased gradually since 2010 but declined rapidly after 2013. Serotypes 15 A and 23 A were the most common serotypes after 2015. The non-susceptibility of the S. pneumoniae isolates to penicillin, cefotaxime, and ceftriaxone decreased. Based on meningitis breakpoints, the non-susceptibility to cefotaxime and ceftriaxone gradually decreased, but increased in 2020.

CONCLUSION

PCV13 was considerably effective in reducing the incidence of IPD in children; however, the prevalence of serotypes 15 A and 23 A increased. The increase in antimicrobial non-susceptibility caused by non-vaccine serotypes must be continuously monitored.

Improved penicillin susceptibility of Streptococcus pneumoniae and increased penicillin consumption in Japan, 2013-18

OBJECTIVES

To examine the association between penicillin susceptibility of Streptococcus pneumoniae and penicillin consumption in Japan.

METHODS

We used Japan Nosocomial Infection Surveillance data on the susceptibility of S. pneumoniae and sales data obtained from IQVIA Services Japan K.K. for penicillin consumption. We analysed both sets of data by decomposing them into seasonality and chronological trend components. The cross-correlation function was checked using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient to examine the correlation between susceptibility and consumption.

RESULTS

After adjusting for seasonality, the susceptibility of S. pneumoniae to penicillins gradually improved (55.7% in 2013 and 60.6% in 2018, respectively) and penicillin consumption increased during the same period (0.76 defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day [DID] in 2013, and 0.89 DID in 2018). The results showed positive cross-correlation (coefficient 0.801, p-value < 0.001). In contrast, cephalosporin consumption decreased (3.91 DID in 2013 and 3.19 DID in 2018) and showed negative cross-correlation with susceptibility of S. pneumoniae to penicillins (coefficient -0.981, p-value < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The rates of penicillin-susceptible S. pneumoniae isolates did not negatively correlate with penicillin consumption at the population level. Increased penicillin consumption might not impair the penicillin susceptibility of S. pneumoniae.

Increasing incidence of penicillin- and cefotaxime-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae causing meningitis in India: Time for revision of treatment guidelines?

PURPOSE

Pneumococcal meningitis is a life-threatening infection, requiring prompt diagnosis and effective treatment. Penicillin resistance in pneumococcal infections is a concern. Here, we present the antibiotic susceptibility profile of pneumococcal meningeal isolates from January 2008 to August 2016 to elucidate treatment guidelines for pneumococcal meningitis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Invasive pneumococcal isolates from all age groups, were included in this study. Minimum inhibitory concentrations for the isolates were identified by agar dilution technique and VITEK System 2. Serotyping of isolates was done by co-agglutination technique.

RESULTS

Out of 830 invasive pneumococcal isolates, 167 (20.1%) isolates were from meningeal infections. Cumulative penicillin resistance in pneumococcal meningitis was 43.7% and cefotaxime non-susceptibility was 14.9%. Penicillin resistance amongst meningeal isolates in those younger than 5 years, 5-16 years of age and those aged 16 years and older was 59.7%, 50% and 27.3%, respectively, with non-susceptibility to cefotaxime in the same age groups being 18%, 22.2% and 10.4%. Penicillin resistance amongst pneumococcal meningeal isolates increased from 9.5% in 2008 to 42.8% in 2016, whereas cefotaxime non-susceptibility increased from 4.7% in 2008 to 28.5% in 2016. Serotypes 14, 19F, 6B, 6A, 23F, 9V and 5 were the most common serotypes causing meningitis, with the first five accounting for over 75% of resistant isolates.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study reports increasing penicillin resistance and cefotaxime non-susceptibility to pneumococcal meningitis in our setting. This highlights the need for empiric therapy with third-generation cephalosporins and vancomycin for all patients with meningitis while awaiting results of culture and susceptibility testing.

Invasive pneumococcal disease caused by ceftriaxone-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae in Taiwan

BACKGROUND

Invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) was associated with mortality, but the risk factors associated with mortality remains controversial.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study was designed. All patients with IPD from 2011 to 2013 admitted in a medical center were screened and collected for their clinical presentations and laboratory characteristics.

RESULTS

Approximately half of the 134 IPD isolates derived from these patients belonged to three major serotypes (19A, 6A and 3), which are included in 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13), but not in 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7). Ceftriaxone resistance according to non-meningitis criteria was identified in 38% of the IPD isolates, and was the major independent risk factor associated with inappropriate initial therapy that subsequently contributed to mortality of the patients. Infection by serotype 6A, 15B, 19A, 19F, or 23F was the major independent risk factor associated with ceftriaxone resistance (non-meningitis criteria). 77.6% of these isolates belonged to additional PCV13 serotypes, with more than 40% expressing resistance to ceftriaxone. In terms of serotype coverage, PCV13 covered 94.1% of the IPD isolates with ceftriaxone resistance, in comparison to 21.6% only by PCV7.

CONCLUSIONS

The increase of ceftriaxone resistance in pneumococci in part driven by PCV7 vaccination in Taiwan is worrisome. The use of PCV13 in children as well as in the elderly population is likely to offer protection from the infection caused by ceftriaxone-resistant pneumococci. It is important to give an effective drug such as penicillin, fluoroquinolones or vancomycin in 2 days for improving outcome of IPD patients.

Comparative Outcome Analysis of Penicillin-Based Versus Fluoroquinolone-Based Antibiotic Therapy for Community-Acquired Pneumonia: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a common but potentially life-threatening condition, but limited information exists on the effectiveness of fluoroquinolones compared to β-lactams in outpatient settings. We aimed to compare the effectiveness and outcomes of penicillins versus respiratory fluoroquinolones for CAP at outpatient clinics.This was a claim-based retrospective cohort study. Patients aged 20 years or older with at least 1 new pneumonia treatment episode were included, and the index penicillin or respiratory fluoroquinolone therapies for a pneumonia episode were at least 5 days in duration. The 2 groups were matched by propensity scores. Cox proportional hazard models were used to compare the rates of hospitalizations/emergence service visits and 30-day mortality. A logistic model was used to compare the likelihood of treatment failure between the 2 groups.After propensity score matching, 2622 matched pairs were included in the final model. The likelihood of treatment failure of fluoroquinolone-based therapy was lower than that of penicillin-based therapy (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 0.88; 95% confidence interval [95%CI], 0.77-0.99), but no differences were found in hospitalization/emergence service (ES) visits (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 1.27; 95% CI, 0.92-1.74) and 30-day mortality (adjusted HR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.30-1.62) between the 2 groups.The likelihood of treatment failure of fluoroquinolone-based therapy was lower than that of penicillin-based therapy for CAP on an outpatient clinic basis. However, this effect may be marginal. Further investigation into the comparative effectiveness of these 2 treatment options is warranted.

Advances in pneumococcal antibiotic resistance

Antimicrobial resistance and serotypes in Streptococcus pneumoniae have been evolving with the widespread use of antibiotics and the introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCV). Particularly, among various types of antimicrobial resistance, macrolide resistance has most remarkably increased in many parts of the world, which has been reported to be >70% among clinical isolates from Asian countries. Penicillin resistance has dramatically decreased among nonmeningeal isolates due to the changes in resistance breakpoints, although resistance to other β-lactams such as cefuroxime has increased. Multidrug resistance became a serious concern in the treatment of invasive pneumococcal diseases, especially in Asian countries. After PCV7 vaccination, serotype 19A has emerged as an important cause of invasive pneumococcal diseases which was also associated with increasing prevalence of multidrug resistance in pneumococci. Widespread use of PCV13, which covers additional serotypes 3, 6A and 19A, may contribute to reduce the clonal spread of drug-resistant 19A pneumococci.

Antimicrobial susceptibility among Gram-positive organisms collected from pediatric patients globally between 2004 and 2011: results from the Tigecycline Evaluation and Surveillance Trial

The Tigecycline Evaluation and Surveillance Trial (TEST) was designed to monitor global longitudinal changes in bacterial susceptibility to a panel of antimicrobial agents, including tigecycline. In this study, we examine susceptibility among Gram-positive isolates collected from pediatric patients globally between 2004 and 2011. A total of 9,422 Gram-positive isolates were contributed by 1,255 centers, predominantly from Europe and North America. One-third of Staphylococcus aureus isolates were methicillin resistant, peaking in prevalence in 2007. All S. aureus isolates (n = 3,614) were susceptible to linezolid, tigecycline, and vancomycin; minocycline, imipenem, and meropenem were also highly active (>92% susceptibility). Ampicillin and penicillin susceptibility increased significantly during the study period (P < 0.0001 for both). Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates (n = 3,373) were highly susceptible to vancomycin (100%), linezolid (>99%), and levofloxacin and tigecycline (both >96%); imipenem susceptibility was low (32%) in Africa while minocycline susceptibility was low in Asia-Pacific Rim (38%). Penicillin resistance occurred in one-fifth of all S. pneumoniae isolates, with penicillin susceptibility ranging from 14% in Africa to 65% in Europe. Streptococcus agalactiae isolates (n = 1,056) were highly susceptible to most antimicrobials, although only 16% were susceptible to minocycline. Enterococcus faecalis isolates (n = 1,112) were highly susceptible (>97%) to ampicillin, linezolid, penicillin, tigecycline, and vancomycin globally, but only 34% were minocycline susceptible; minocycline susceptibility decreased significantly from 2004 to 2011 (P < 0.001). Tigecycline and linezolid were highly active against Enterococcus faecium (n = 267) globally (100% and 98% susceptible, respectively). Tigecycline and linezolid were highly active against Gram-positive pathogens from pediatric patients in TEST 2004 to 2011, with vancomycin and the carbapenems performing well against most pathogens.

Reprint of: Serotyping and antibiotic susceptibility of Streptococcus pneumoniae strains isolated in Algeria from 2001 to 2010

INTRODUCTION

Pneumococcal infections are a major public health problem because of the virulence of this bacterium and its ability to develop resistance.

MATERIAL AND METHOD

Two hundred and ninety-four strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae were isolated from sterile (56.8%) and non-sterile samples (43.2%), from January 2001 to July 2010.

RESULTS

The interpretation of antibiotic susceptibility testing, according to CLSI criteria (M100-S21 2011), yielded a 25.2% overall resistance to penicillin, with 23.5% of strains isolated from CSF (meningitis), and only 1.7% in other samples. Resistance to cefotaxime was 8.1% (including 4.4% at a high level). The most common serotypes were: 14 (19.5%), 23F (9.7%), 6B (9.3%), 19F (5.4%), and serotype 1 (5%). The percentage of these serotypes isolated from normally sterile sites in children under 5 years of age was 31.25% for 14, 10.4% for 23F, 8.3% for 19F, 6.25% for 6B, and 4.2% for serotype 1. The theoretical vaccinal coverage against invasive infections in children under 2 years of age was 61.5%, 69.2%, and 76.9% for the 7-valent, 10-valent, and 13-valent conjugate vaccines, respectively. Penicillin non-susceptible Streptococcus pneumoniae (PNSP) strains accounted for 67.1, 68.6, and 72.8% for each of these three vaccines.

CONCLUSION

There was a variation of serotype rates compared to previous studies. The increase in pneumococcal antibiotic resistance is concerning, particularly for the treatment of pneumococcal infections in children and infants. Pneumococcal vaccination is not compulsory yet in Algeria.

Nasopharyngeal carriage of Streptococcus pneumoniae in Taiwan before and after the introduction of a conjugate vaccine

BACKGROUND

The heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine was introduced in Taiwan in October 2005. To evaluate the effect of the vaccination, we conducted an active, prospective, large-scale, long-term, and multicenter study to assess the prevalence of nasopharyngeal Streptococcus pneumoniae carriage in Taiwanese children.

METHODS

This study was performed at three tertiary teaching hospitals in northern, central, and southern Taiwan. Questionnaires provided demographic, family/household, and medical history data. Pneumococcal isolates were tested for their susceptibility to various antimicrobial agents and serotypes. In addition, influenza virus and Staphylococcus aureus were recovered from nasopharyngeal and nasal swabs, respectively.

RESULTS

Between July 2005 and July 2008, 857 pneumococcal strains were recovered from a total of 6057 children aged >2 months to 5 years (carriage rate, 14.1%). Carriage rates differed geographically and varied with subject age. In a multivariate analysis, having at least one sibling, attendance at day-care centers, a history of otitis media, and history of upper respiratory tract infection in the previous 2 weeks were each associated with a higher risk of pneumococcal colonization of the nasopharynx. Staphylococcus aureus nasal colonization was inversely associated with nasopharyngeal carriage of pneumococcus (p=0.000; odds ratio [OR]: 0.48; 95% CI: 0.39-0.58). Daycare attendance was the only risk factor for carriage of penicillin non-susceptible S. pneumoniae (OR: 2.37; 95% CI: 1.22-4.88). Although vaccination rates rose from 2005 to 2008, no concomitant decrease in S. pneumoniae carriage occurred. The rate of penicillin resistance among S. pneumoniae isolates was 92.8% (using the meningitis criteria). The prevalence of cefotaxime resistance (21.6%) was higher than that of penicillin (6.9%; non-meningitis criteria). Slightly more than half (57.4%) of the isolates belonged to strains covered by the heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine when both vaccine and vaccine-related serotypes were included.

CONCLUSIONS

Although vaccination rates rose from 2005 to 2008, no concomitant decrease occurred in S. pneumoniae carriage. Interaction between S. aureus and S. pneumoniae may influence vaccination efficacy. These findings provide baseline data to further compare pneumococcal carriage rates and antibiotic resistance patterns in Taiwanese children as vaccination rates continue to increase.

Sequence types and antimicrobial susceptibility of invasive streptococcus pneumoniae isolates from a region with high antibiotic selective pressure and suboptimal vaccine coverage

Multilocus sequence typing was carried out on 95 invasive pneumococcal isolates belonging to the most common 7 serotypes currently circulating in Taiwan. The study confirmed continued prevalence in Taiwan of a few global clones and sequence types (STs) since the mid-1990s and identified the recent emergence of ST320 (19A) and ST902 (6A). Antimicrobial nonsusceptibility was common in the predominant STs of serotypes 14, 19A, 19F, and 23F.