Pneumococcal Pneumonia – There’s a Vaccine for That!
We often hear about pneumonia, but it can sometimes be a little confusing as there are many different causes of pneumonia. Recently we’ve heard a lot in the media about
Pneumococcal Pneumonia – There’s a Vaccine for That!
We often hear about pneumonia, but it can sometimes be a little confusing as there are many different causes of pneumonia. Recently we’ve heard a lot in the media about pneumonia caused by COVID-19. This is an example of viral pneumonia caused by a virus that infects the lungs. Pneumonia can also be caused by fungus and bacteria. Did you know that bacterial pneumonia is the most common cause of pneumonia in adults? Luckily there are vaccines for that.
What is Pneumococcal Pneumonia?
Pneumococcal pneumonia is caused by the bacteria Streptococcus pneumoniae. These bacteriaare the most common cause of community-acquired pneumonia worldwide. Streptococcus pneumoniaecan also cause bacteraemic pneumonia (infection in the lungs with bacteria in the bloodstream), sepsis (bacteria in the bloodstream), and meningitis (inflammation around the brain). Together these infections are referred to as invasive pneumococcal disease.
The bacteria are spread from person to person through respiratory droplets by:
It is possible to be carrying Streptococcus pneumoniaebacteria without showing any symptoms. You can still spread the bacteria to others even if you don’t have symptoms.
What are the symptoms?
Pneumonia causes an infection of the lungs. When a healthy person breathes the small sacs that make up the lungs called alveoli fill with air. When a person has pneumonia, the alveoli are filled with fluid and pus which makes breathing painful and difficult and limits the amount of oxygen a person can breathe in. Symptoms of pneumococcal pneumonia include:
- Chest pain
- Cough with pussy or blood-tinged sputum
- Shortness of breath
- Altered mental st