Outbreak of Streptococcus Pneumoniae serotype 3 pneumonia in extremely elderly people in a nursing home unit in Kanagawa, Japan, 2013

摘要

To the Editor: Streptococcus pneumoniae is the major cause of pneumonia in the elderly adults.1 The vast majority of pne.umococcal pneumonia cases are sporadic, although outbreaks of pneumococcal disease in crowded settings such as daycare centers, nursing homes, and military camps4 have been reported. In mid-April 2013, a local hospital in Kanagawa, Japan, identified a series of cases of pneumococcal pneumonia in nursing home unit residents aged 80 and older. The hospital physicians and local health center staff investigated the outbreak to confirm the etiological pathogen and to prevent disease transmission. Demographic and clinical data of the residents were extracted from nursing home and hospital records using a standardized form. Confirmed pneumonia was defined as an episode of acute respiratory symptoms and evidence of a new infiltrate on chest radiography. Confirmed pneumonia was considered to be S. pneumoniae infection if 5. pneumoniae was isolated from sputum or if a rapid urinary antigen test (Binax NOW S. pneumoniae, Binax, Portland, ME) was positive. Influenza-like illness (ILI) was defined as an episode of respiratory symptoms and sudden fever.