A. Pneumococcal infection is a leading cause of death throughout the world and the sixth leading cause of death in United States. A certain type of bacterium called Streptococcus pneumoniae mainly causes the infection. When these bacteria invade the lungs, they cause the most common kind of bacterial pneumonia. The bacteria can also invade the bloodstream to cause bacteremia or can invade the brain to cause meningitis.
Any human being can get pneumococcal infection.
A. Pneumococcal disease can be treated with several different antibiotics, including penicillin and broad-spectrum cephalopsporins. However, S. pnuemoniae, the bacterium responsible for most pneumocococcal diseases is developing resistance to the antibiotics that fight the infection. High levels of penicillin resistance and multidrug resistance often complicate the management of pneumococcal infection. Yes, pnuemococcal infection is preventable. One of the main ways that this infection is preventable is the use of pneumococcal vaccination.