Brief overview
- Description: Pneumococci are bacteria from the streptococcus family and common pathogens of various diseases.
- Pneumococcal diseases: e.g. middle ear infection, sinusitis, pneumonia, blood poisoning (sepsis), meningitis
- Symptoms: Depending on the illness, e.g. fever and earache in middle ear infection, headache and runny nose in sinusitis, fever, chills and cough with sputum in pneumonia
- Transmission: Infection by droplet infection. Adults often catch it from small children.
- Treatment: in mild cases symptomatic, for example with painkillers or decongestant nasal sprays; in severe cases or if there is no improvement, antibiotics
- Prevention: through hygiene and vaccination
Pneumococci (Streptococcus pneumoniae or S. pneumoniae) are bacteria that can cause various diseases. They are the most common pathogens of pneumonia, bacterial meningitis in adults and bacterial infectious diseases such as middle ear infections in children.
Pneumococci belong to the streptococcus family. This is a large bacterial genus that also includes other pathogens, including group A streptococci (e.g. Streptococcus pyogenes) and group B streptococci (e.g. Streptococcus agalactiae).
Diseases caused by pneumococci
Pneumococci often settle on the mucous membranes of the nasopharynx as early as infancy. In many cases they do not cause any symptoms. However, the bacteria can also cause serious infections locally or after migrating to other parts of the body.
Diseases caused by pneumococci include
- Otitis media (inflammation of the middle ear)
- Mastoiditis (inflammation of the mastoid process of the temporal bone – a common complication of otitis media)
- Sinusitis (inflammation of the paranasal sinuses)
- Conjunctivitis (inflammation of the conjunctiva)
- Pneumonia (inflammation of the lungs)
If pneumococci enter the bloodstream (bacteremia), for example, life-threatening sepsis (blood poisoning) can occur.
Pneumococci are also the main cause of bacterial meningitis. Pneumococcal meningitis carries a higher risk of death or permanent damage than other bacterial meningitis.
Pneumococci are less likely to cause the following diseases, for example:
- Bone marrow inflammation (osteomyelitis)
- Inflammation of the inner lining of the heart (endocarditis)
- Inflammation of the pericardium (pericarditis)
- Inflammation of the peritoneum (peritonitis)
- Septic arthritis (inflammatory joint disease)
- Neonatal sepsis (special case of blood poisoning)
- Soft tissue infections (e.g. of the muscles or connective tissue)
Pneumococcal infection: who is particularly at risk?
Otherwise healthy people usually survive a pneumococcal infection without complications. However, infants and young children, as well as immunocompromised and elderly people aged 60 and over, are at an increased risk of becoming seriously ill with pneumococcal disease.
Other risk factors for severe courses of the disease are, for example
- diabetes
- smoking
- Chronic lung diseases
- alcohol abuse
- HIV infection
- sickle cell anemia
- Cancers such as multiple myeloma or leukemia
Pneumococcal infection: symptoms
Pneumococci do not always cause symptoms. If symptoms do occur, it is usually one to three days after infection (incubation period).
Symptoms of middle ear infection
If pneumococci cause symptoms such as severe earache, ringing or pressure on the ears, this is often due to a middle ear infection in both adults and children. In many cases, such otitis media is preceded by a viral respiratory infection, such as a cold.
You can read more about this in the article Otitis media – symptoms.
Symptoms of mastoiditis
Mastoiditis is a common complication of otitis media. The pneumococci enter the so-called mastoid, the mastoid process of the temporal bone behind the ear. They then trigger an inflammation there.
You can find out more about this under Mastoiditis – Symptoms.
Symptoms of sinusitis
Sinusitis is one of the most common respiratory diseases. And pneumococci are one of its most common causes.
Inflammation of the mucous membranes in the paranasal sinuses (e.g. frontal sinuses, maxillary sinuses) typically triggers a runny nose, headache and a feeling of pressure in the head.
You can read about other possible symptoms under Sinusitis – symptoms.
Symptoms of conjunctivitis
When pneumococci (or other pathogens) cause conjunctivitis, the main symptoms are red and watery eyes. Those affected often also report itching and pain in the area of the affected eye.
Symptoms of pneumonia
Pneumonia acquired on an outpatient basis (i.e. outside hospital) is often preceded by a viral respiratory infection. Chills, high fever, cough with sputum and pain in the pleura indicate pneumonia.
You can read more about this under Pneumonia – symptoms.
A common complication of pneumonia is pleural effusion. This is when fluid collects between the lungs and the chest. This causes coughing, pain and shortness of breath, for example.
Symptoms of meningitis
Pneumococcal meningitis often begins like the flu: those affected suffer from a high temperature, headaches and aching limbs, nausea and vomiting, for example.
You can read more about the signs under Meningitis – Symptoms.
Seek medical help immediately if you suspect meningitis!
Symptoms of sepsis
If the pneumococci enter the bloodstream, bacteremia (which means that there are bacteria in the blood) occurs first. This does not always cause symptoms and does not always lead to life-threatening blood poisoning.
However, if sepsis develops, this becomes noticeable with:
- High fever and often chills
- rapid breathing
- rapid heartbeat (tachycardia)
- low blood pressure
- poor general condition
- cognitive disorders such as perception or memory problems.
If left untreated, sepsis can lead to circulatory collapse and septic shock.
If you suspect blood poisoning, call the emergency services immediately!
Pneumococci are not the only possible cause of the diseases mentioned. It can only be determined whether they are really the cause by looking for pneumococci in patient samples (e.g. blood sample, swab).
Pneumococcal infection: Transmission
Pneumococci are transmitted by droplet infection: when infected persons speak, sneeze or cough, tiny droplets of secretions containing the germs are released into the air.
They either land directly on the mucous membranes of another person (e.g. when you cough on someone) or other people breathe in the infectious droplets. This is how pneumococci are transmitted.
Pneumococcal infection in adults often occurs through contact with small children. In these children, pneumococci settle more frequently in the throat without causing symptoms.
Anyone who looks after small children can therefore easily become infected from them. This can be particularly dangerous for immunocompromised or elderly people (such as grandparents), as they have an increased risk of invasive pneumococcal infections.
If a pneumococcal infection is treated with antibiotics, those affected are usually no longer contagious after 24 hours.
Pneumococcal infection: treatment
Antibiotics against pneumococci
If the condition does not improve or the pneumococcal infection is severe, antibiotics are the treatment of choice. Pneumococci react very sensitively to these drugs. Pneumococcal therapy with antibiotics can shorten the duration of the disease and prevent severe courses.
Doctors usually use a broad-spectrum antibiotic from the beta-lactam antibiotic group (e.g. cephalosporins, penicillin) against pneumococci. Exactly which antibiotic is used against pneumococci depends on various factors.
Rapid treatment for invasive diseases
Invasive pneumococcal disease must be treated quickly by doctors. Antibiotic therapy should be started as soon as possible – ideally within an hour of diagnosis – especially in the case of bacterial meningitis and sepsis. This is the best way to prevent a severe and sometimes fatal course.
Pneumococcal infection: prevention
The usual hygiene measures, such as regular hand washing, help to protect yourself and others from infection with pneumococci.
Vaccination against pneumococci
One of the most important weapons against pneumococci is vaccination. The immune system reacts to the vaccine administered as an injection by producing specific antibodies. In the event of subsequent contact with “real” pneumococci, these antibodies immediately take action against the invaders.
Those who are vaccinated not only protect themselves from a (serious) pneumococcal infection, but also all those who cannot be vaccinated against pneumococci for various reasons. Experts recommend the pneumococcal vaccination for babies from the age of two months.
You can find out who else should be vaccinated against pneumococci in the article on the pneumococcal vaccination.
