TY - JOUR
T1 - Pathogen-and Type-Specific Changes in Invasive Bacterial Disease Epidemiology during the First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic in The Netherlands
AU - Steens, Anneke
AU - Knol, Mirjam J.
AU - Freudenburg-de Graaf, Wieke
AU - de Melker, Hester E.
AU - van der Ende, Arie
AU - van Sorge, Nina M.
N1 - Funding Information: This research received no external funding and is funded by the regular budget of the NRLBM and the Centre for Infectious Disease Control of the RIVM. Publisher Copyright: © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
PY - 2022/5/1
Y1 - 2022/5/1
N2 - COVID-19 control measures have resulted in a decline in invasive bacterial disease caused by Neisseria meningitidis (IMD), Streptococcus pneumoniae (IPD), and Haemophilus influenzae (Hi-D). These species comprise different serogroups and serotypes that impact transmissibility and virulence. We evaluated type-and pathogen-specific changes in invasive bacterial disease epidemiology in the Netherlands during the first year of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Cases were based on nationwide surveillance for five bacterial species with either respiratory (IMD, IPD, Hi-D) or non-respiratory (controls) transmission routes and were compared from the pre-COVID period (April 2015–March 2020) to the first COVID-19 year (April 2020–March 2021). IMD, IPD, and Hi-D cases decreased by 78%, 67%, and 35%, respectively, in the first COVID-19 year compared to the pre-COVID period, although effects differed per age group. Serogroup B-IMD declined by 61%, while serogroup W and Y-IMD decreased >90%. IPD caused by serotypes 7F, 15A, 12F, 33F, and 8 showed the most pronounced decline (≥76%). In contrast to an overall decrease in Hi-D cases, vaccine-preventable serotype b (Hib) increased by 51%. COVID-19 control measures had pathogen-and type-specific effects related to invasive infections. Continued surveillance is critical to monitor potential rebound effects once restriction measures are lifted and transmission is resumed.
AB - COVID-19 control measures have resulted in a decline in invasive bacterial disease caused by Neisseria meningitidis (IMD), Streptococcus pneumoniae (IPD), and Haemophilus influenzae (Hi-D). These species comprise different serogroups and serotypes that impact transmissibility and virulence. We evaluated type-and pathogen-specific changes in invasive bacterial disease epidemiology in the Netherlands during the first year of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Cases were based on nationwide surveillance for five bacterial species with either respiratory (IMD, IPD, Hi-D) or non-respiratory (controls) transmission routes and were compared from the pre-COVID period (April 2015–March 2020) to the first COVID-19 year (April 2020–March 2021). IMD, IPD, and Hi-D cases decreased by 78%, 67%, and 35%, respectively, in the first COVID-19 year compared to the pre-COVID period, although effects differed per age group. Serogroup B-IMD declined by 61%, while serogroup W and Y-IMD decreased >90%. IPD caused by serotypes 7F, 15A, 12F, 33F, and 8 showed the most pronounced decline (≥76%). In contrast to an overall decrease in Hi-D cases, vaccine-preventable serotype b (Hib) increased by 51%. COVID-19 control measures had pathogen-and type-specific effects related to invasive infections. Continued surveillance is critical to monitor potential rebound effects once restriction measures are lifted and transmission is resumed.
KW - COVID-19
KW - Haemophilus influenzae disease
KW - invasive meningococcal disease
KW - invasive pneumococcal disease
KW - molecular epidemiology
KW - serogroup
KW - serotype
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85129417907&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms10050972
DO - https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms10050972
M3 - Article
C2 - 35630415
SN - 2076-2607
VL - 10
JO - Microorganisms
JF - Microorganisms
IS - 5
M1 - 972
ER -