Invasive Pneumococcal Disease Caused by Non-Vaccine Type Multidrug-Resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae Transmitted by Close Contact in a Healthy Adult

ABSTRACT

The incidence of vaccine-type Streptococcus pneumoniae carriage and disease have declined in vaccinated children as well as in unvaccinated children and adults. However, diseases caused by non-vaccine type (NVT) S. pneumoniae are increasing. In this study, we report an invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) caused by NVT multidrug-resistant (MDR) S. pneumoniae transmitted from a vaccinated infant to an unvaccinated healthy woman, and the clinical characteristics of this serotype. A 29-year-old previously healthy woman visited our hospital with fever and headache. She had been breastfeeding her baby for 8 months. She was diagnosed with brain abscess and sinusitis caused by S. pneumoniae. Although the patient had no previous exposure to antibiotics, antibiotic susceptibility test identified the pathogen as MDR. The patient's family members were examined using nasopharyngeal swabs for bacterial culture. The serotype of S. pneumoniae identified from the blood, abscess, and sputum of the patient was 15B/C. After investing the patient's family members, we found that the serotype from nasopharyngeal specimen of her baby was the same. We described an invasive MDR pneumococcal disease in an immunocompetent young adult in the community. IPD likely spread to the patient by close contact with her baby, who harbored S. pneumoniae of NVT. The spread of NVT S. pneumoniae in the post-vaccine era has increased in the community, and resistance pattern for S. pneumoniae of 15B/C changed compared to the pre-pneumococcal conjugate vaccine era. The spread of MDR pathogens causing IPD among family members should be monitored.