Streptococcus pneumoniae: Antimicrobial Resistance and Serotypes of Strains Carried by Children and Causing Invasive Disease in the Faroe Islands.

To access publisher's full text version of this article click on the hyperlink belowKnowledge about pneumococcal carriage, antibacterial resistance, serotype prevalence, and prevalence of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) after introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) is lacking in the Faroe Islands. PCV-7 was introduced in 2008 and PCV-13 in 2010. The aim was to obtain knowledge on serotypes and antimicrobial resistance in pneumococci from carriage in children attending day-care centers (DCCs) and invasive isolates. Nasopharyngeal swabs were collected from 607 healthy children attending DCCs in the Faroe Islands in January to March in 2009, 2010, and 2011. Pneumococci were cultured selectively, tested for antibacterial susceptibility, and serotyped. Data from IPD isolates from 1974 to 2016 from the Department of Microbiology, National Hospital of the Faroe Islands, and typed and stored at Staten Serum Institute were also analyzed. Of the 607 screened children, 45% were pneumococcal carriers, 50% in 2009, 40% in 2010, and 42% in 2011. Antibiotic resistance in pneumococci was rare both in carriers and patients. Five penicillin nonsusceptible pneumococci were found in carriers (1.8%) and one among the invasive isolates (1.7%). The most common serotypes in carriage were 6B and 6A in 2009, serotype 3 and 6C in 2010, and serotype 11 and 6C in 2011. Serotype 6B was not found in 2011. The most common serotypes among IPD were 7F and 3. Pneumococcal carriage prevalence in healthy children attending DCCs in the Faroe Islands was low and antibacterial resistance was rare, compared with Iceland. The results suggest a possible serotype shift, reduction in antibacterial use, and PCV-7/13 serotype decrease in IPD after the introduction of pneumococcal vaccinations in children.1 ] Thetis, Food & Environm Lab, Vio Myllutjorn 6, FO-188 Hoyvik 100, Torshavn, Denmark Show more [ 2 ] Univ Iceland, Fac Med, Reykjavik, Iceland Show more [ 3 ] Landspitali Univ Hosp, Dept Clin Microbiol, Reykjavik, Iceland [ 4 ] Natl Hosp Faroe Isl, Dept Med, Div Infect Dis, Torshavn, Denmark [ 5 ] Univ Faroe Isl, Ctr Hlth Res, Torshavn, Denmark Show more [ 6 ] Odense Univ Hosp, Infect Dis Res Unit, Odense, Denmark Show more [ 7 ] Univ Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark [ 8 ] Ctr Hlth Secur & Communicable Dis Control, Reykjavik, Icelan