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Coseasonality of influenza and invasive pneumococcal disease

June 7th, 2011

Using a combination of sophisticated modelling and statistical analyses, David Fisman and colleagues show that infection with influenza likely increases the incidence of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD). It is feasible that infection with influenza increases the short-term risk of bacterial invasion in individuals already colonized with Streptococcus pneumoniae (which causes IPD) by increasing the permeability of the lining of the airways to the bacteria. These findings suggest that some cases of IPD could be attributable to influenza, so the extension of influenza vaccination to school-age children and young adults (a group of people at particular risk of IPD who are not normally vaccinated against influenza) could reduce the incidence of IPD as well as the incidence of influenza.

More information:
Kuster SP, Tuite AR, Kwong JC, McGeer A, the Toronto Invasive Bacterial Diseases Network, et al. (2011) Evaluation of Coseasonality of Influenza and Invasive Pneumococcal Disease: Results from Prospective Surveillance. PLoS Med 8(6): e1001042. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1001042

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