epidemiology of pneumoccal meningitis

Last reviewed 01/2018

epidemiology of pneumococcal disease Pneumococcus is one of the main causes of bacteraemia and meningitis in reported cases (1)

• each year around 5,000-6,000 cases of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) are reported to the Health Protection Agency, Centre for Infections (2)
• in UK, the annual incidence of IPD is approximately 12 per 100,000 population (3)
• a marked seasonal pattern can be observed with majority of cases occurring in December and January each year

According to laboratory confirmed cases in England and Wales from the period 1996-2005, 5.5% of reported cases of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) were meningitis (4)

• out of 252 laboratory-confirmed cases of pneumoccal meningitis during 2004/2005
  • 74 (29.3%) were children 1 year of age and younger
  • 100 (39.6%) were adults 45 years of age and older (4)

In addition to IPD, in England and Wales each year there were

• an estimated 40,000 hospitalisations due to pneumococcal pneumonia
• 40,000 GP consultations for pneumococcal related community acquired pneumonia
• over 63,000 for pneumococcal otitis media (2)

Reference:

• 1. Department of Health (DH) 2010. Immunisation against infectious disease - "The Green Book". Chapter 25 - pneumococcal.
• 2. Health Protection Agency (HPA) 2010.General information on pneumococcal disease.
• 3. Health Protection Agency (HPA) 2008. Interim UK guidelines for the public health management of clusters of serious pneumococcal disease in closed settings.
• 4. Health Protection Agency (HPA) 2009. Number of laboratory confirmed pneumococcal meningitis cases in England and Wales, 1996-2005.