Invasive pneumococcal disease – annual epidemiological report for 2018

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has published its annual epidemiological report concerning invasive pneumococcal disease. In 2018, 24,663 confirmed cases of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) were reported in the EU/EEA. The crude notification rate was 6.4 cases per 100,000 of the population, continuing the increasing trend observed since 2014.

In key findings from the report: 

• Age-specific rates were highest in adults aged 65 years or older, with 18.7 confirmed cases per 100,000 of the population. This was followed by infants under one-year-old, with 14.4 confirmed cases per 100,000 of the population. 
• The ten most common serotypes, in order of decreasing frequency, were 8, 3, 19A, 22F, 12F, 9N, 15A, 10A, 23B and 6C, accounting for 70% of typed isolates. 
• Of all the cases in those under five years of age, 75% were caused by a serotype not included in any pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV). 
• Among cases aged 65 years and over, 73% were caused by serotypes included in the 23-valent polysaccharide vaccine, and 29% were caused by serotypes in the 13-valent PCV.

Source: ECDC, 8 September 2020