Journal
TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF TROPICAL MEDICINE AND HYGIENE
Volume 101, Issue 4, Pages 405-413Publisher
OXFORD UNIV PRESS
DOI: 10.1016/j.trstmh.2006.08.014
Keywords
Streptococcus pneumoniae; meningitis; pneumonia; epidemiology; antibiotic resistance; Ghana
Funding
- Wellcome Trust [0064368/Z/01] Funding Source: Medline
Ask authors/readers for more resources
There are few data on the epidemiology of invasive pneumococcal disease in Africa. We undertook a prospective study of these infections in Kumasi, Ghana, collecting clinical data on all patients with laboratory-confirmed pneumococcal meningitis, pneumonia or systemic sepsis associated with bacteraemia. A total of 140 cases were identified in the period from January 2002 to April 2005. The disease was most prevalent among patients <5 years of age and immediately following the peak of the harmattan wind. The majority of patients were treated with a combination of antibiotics, in part reflecting concerns regarding antibiotic resistance. Mortality was high (47%), with no evidence of an improved prognosis compared with earlier studies in the region. Although most isolates of pneumococci were resistant to tetracyclines and co-trimoxazole, there was no high-level resistance to penicillin and only 12% of isolates showed intermediate level resistance. Serotype 1 was the most common serotype (36%), whilst intermediate-level penicillin resistance was associated with serotype 14. Theoretical coverage by existing 7-, 9-, 11- and 23-valent vaccines was 26%, 63%, 64% and 76%, respectively. Vaccination may improve control of pneumococcal disease in Ghana, although modified vaccine formulations are required for local use. (C) 2006 Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available