Predictors of Pneumococcal Co-infection | CDC EID / Volume 17, Number 8–August 2011

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Volume 17, Number 8–August 2011
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Predictors of Pneumococcal Co-infection for Patients with Pandemic (H1N1) 2009

Mar Masiá, Sergio Padilla, Pedro Antequera, José Manuel Ramos, Montserrat Ruiz, and Félix Gutiérrez Comments to Author

Author affiliations: Hospital Universitario de Elche, Elche, Spain (M. Masiá, S. Padilla, J.M. Ramos, M. Ruiz, F. Gutiérrez); University Miguel Hernández, Elche (F. Gutiérrez); and Hospital Universitario de San Juan, Alicante, Spain (P. Antequera)

Suggested citation for this article

Abstract
We conducted a systematic investigation of pneumococcal co-infection in patients with a diagnosis of pandemic (H1N1) 2009 and any risk factor for complications or with severity criteria. We found 14% prevalence, with one third of patients having nonpneumonic infections. A severity assessment score >1 and high C-reactive protein levels were predictors of pneumococcal co-infection.

Influenza virus and Streptococcus pneumoniae are 2 of the most frequently implicated pathogens in respiratory tract infections in humans. Although an interaction between these microorganisms has been suggested (1–8), few data are available addressing the prevalence, clinical spectrum, or predictive factors of pneumococcal co-infection for patients with influenza.

We investigated the prevalence and clinical characteristics of pneumococcal infection in patients infected with pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus. We compared those patients with patients in whom only influenza or pneumococcal infection was diagnosed during the pandemic to identify potential predictors of co-infection.

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Suggested Citation for this Article

Masiá M, Padilla S, Antequera P, Ramos JM, Ruiz M, Gutiérrez. Predictors of pneumococcal co-infection for patients with pandemic (H1N1) 2009. Emerg Infect Dis [serial on the Internet]. 2011 Aug [date cited].

DOI: 10.3201/eid1708.101673

Comments to the Authors

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Félix Gutiérrez, Unidad de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Hospital General Universitario de Elche, Camí de la Almazara 11, 03203 Elche, Spain; email: gutierrez_fel@gva.es