Epidemiology of pneumococcal disease

Pneumococcus is a leading cause of pneumonia and meningitis in the United S tates, causing about 3000 cases of meningitis and 100,000 to 135,000 hospit alizations for pneumonia every year. Approximately 61,000 cases of invasive pneumococcal disease were reported in the United States in 1998. The incid ence of Streptococcus pneumoniae disease is highest before 2 years of age a nd after 65 years of age. Rates of disease among African American and Ameri can Indian children are twice those of the general US population. Resistanc e of the organism to antibiotics-including newer cephalosporins, erythromyc in, and the fluoroquinolones-has increased in the past decade, and multidru g-resistant strains have been reported from several countries around the wo rld. Important risk factors for pneumococcal disease are immunologic impair ment and underlying illnesses.