title: Control of Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 5 epidemic of severe pneumonia among young army recruits by mass antibiotic treatment and vaccination.
abstract: During an outbreak of severe pneumonia among new army recruits, an epidemiological investigation combined with repeated nasopharyngeal/oropharyngeal cultures from sick and healthy contacts subjects was conducted. Fifteen pneumonia cases and 19 influenza-like illness cases occurred among 596 recruits over a 4-week period in December 2005. Pneumonia attack rates reached up to 5.5%. A single pneumococcus serotype 5 clone was isolated from blood or sputum cultures in 4 patients and 30/124 (24.1%) contacts. Immunization with 23-valent polysaccharide vaccine supplemented with a 2-dose azithromycin mass treatment rapidly terminated the outbreak. Carriage rates dropped to <1%, 24 and 45 days after intervention.
authors.affiliation: Medical Corps, Israeli Defense Forces, Israel.
authors.forename: Ran D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Balicer
authors.forename: Salman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zarka
authors.forename: Hagai
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Levine
authors.forename: Eyal
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Klement
authors.forename: Tamar
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sela
authors.forename: Nurith
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Porat
authors.forename: Nachman
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ash
authors.forename: Ron
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dagan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002353:Carrier State / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008889:Military Personnel; D022242:Pneumococcal Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011018:Pneumonia, Pneumococcal / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014611:Vaccination; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: C414006:23-valent pneumococcal capsular polysaccharide vaccine; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D022242:Pneumococcal Vaccines