Abstract
We report the third outbreak of pneumococcal pneumonia within one year among workers in European shipyards. During January and February 2020, 37 cases of pneumonia were identified in a shipyard in Marseille, south-eastern France. Outbreak control measures were implemented, including a mass vaccination campaign with 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine targeting all shipyard workers. Given the high mobility of shipyard workers, coordinated responses between European public health institutes are necessary to avoid further outbreaks.
Highlights
Streptococcus pneumoniae is a Gram-positive bacterium with nearly 100 serotypes currently recognised [2]
Infections caused by S. pneumoniae, including invasive pneumococcal diseases (IPD), remain a significant public health concern worldwide
Several risk factors related to these outbreaks have been identified, including smoking, people 65 years and older, poor nutritional status, immunosuppression, several comorbidities and respiratory viral infections [6]
Summary
Streptococcus pneumoniae is a Gram-positive bacterium with nearly 100 serotypes currently recognised [2]. Through the colonisation of the nasopharyngeal tract, the bacteria can cause mild infections such as otitis media, pneumonia and invasive pneumococcal disease (bacteraemia or meningitis) [2]. Infections caused by S. pneumoniae, including invasive pneumococcal diseases (IPD), remain a significant public health concern worldwide. In 2018, the incidence of IPD in the general population in France was 7.9 cases per 100,000 inhabitants [3]. The onset of pneumococcal infections may be related to the combination of high carriage rates, the genetic adaptability of pneumococci and their ability to shift from a commensal to a pathogenic interaction with its host [4]
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