Serological Characteristics and Antimicrobial Susceptibility of Streptococcus pneumoniae Isolated from Children Under 5 Years and Patients >65 Years in Belarus and Ukraine

Objective.

Objectives. To reveal serotypes of Streptococcus pneumoniaе isolated from patients with pneumococcal infections and from healthy carriers in Belarus and Ukraine.

Materials and Methods.

There were 314 strains of S. pneumoniae in this investigation, from patients and asymptomatic carriers at the age from 0 to 90 years. After re-identification and susceptibility testing to penicillin, serogroup and serotype was identified for each strain. Using this data the coverage of 7-, 10- and 13-vallent pneumococcal conjugate vaccines was determined.

Results.

For non-invasive pneumococcal strains from Belarus 7-, 10- and 13-valent vaccines cover 25.0, 30.5 and 46.0% of serotypes for pneumococcal carriage, 60.0% – for acute otitis media, 44.4% – for pneumonia; in Ukraine 7-, 10- and 13-valent vaccines cover 41.5, 41.5 and 69.4% of strains isolated in asymptomatic carriage, 24.9, 33.2 and 49.8% – in otitis media, 27.1, 39.2 и 48.3% – in pneumonia. For strains isolated in invasive pneumococcal infections 7-, 10- and 13-valent vaccines cover 23.4% of serotypes in patients >65 years old and 100% in children under 5 years of age for Belarus; for Ukraine – 100%. All pencillin resistant strains were covered by all pneumococcal vaccines.

Conclusions.

All pneumococcal conjugate vaccines could be used for pediatric vaccination in Belarus and Ukraine.