Pediatria pre prax 3/2020

The Pneumococcus – Innocent colonizer or invasive enemy?

Human beings develop in continual contact with microorganisms. 1–3% of our weight is the mass of microbes we harbor on our mucosas and our organs. The scientific name for them is „microbiota”. They have substantial impact on development of our immunity, metabolism, neurological and other functions (1). Their influence on macroorganism is mostly positive, but sometimes they can also cause infection. This balance depends on multiple host and microbe factors. The Pneumococcus normally colonizes nasopharynx of majority of healthy preschool children, but it can also cause invasive infection. Effective prevention of pneumococcal colonization and infection is vaccination. Antibiotic treatment is indicated only to treat infection. It is strictly not recommended to erradicate colonization, which is a physiologic phenomenon!

Keywords: microbiota, Streptococcus pneumoniae, colonization, vaccination