The pneumococcus, or Streptococcus pneumoniae, produces over 90 chemically distinct capsule types and the inability to produce capsule renders the bacterium severely attenuated.

Economic studies also show that the cost of treating diseases such as HPV, Hib, shingles (herpes zoster) and pneumococcus far exceeds the cost of vaccination.

“Pneumococcus is carried by one-third or more of the population,” said Morrison. “We are relying mainly on penicillin to control it, but it’s becoming more and more resistant.

Pneumococcus is the leading cause of upper respiratory disease and a common cause of pneumonia and pediatric ear infections. Worldwide, it is responsible for more than one million deaths each year.

Pneumococcus Genome Sequence Completed Date: July 20, 2001 Source: University Of Illinois At Chicago Summary: A University of Illinois at Chicago biologist is part of a team that has successfully ...

Perspective Attacking the Pneumococcus — A Hundred Years' War Author: Morton N. Swartz, M.D. Author Info & Affiliations Published March 7, 2002 N Engl J Med 2002;346: 722 ...

Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) was the bacterial strain used in the historic studies of Avery, MacLeod and McCarty more than half a century ago to demonstrate that DNA is the material of ...

Carriage of pneumococcus in the nose is a necessary first step for most infections. As children age, they carry pneumococcus for shorter periods of time and their risk of disease decreases also.

Pneumococcus experts at the University of Alabama at Birmingham have discovered, a newly-found capsule—the 100th to be identified since the pathogen was first discovered in the late 19th century ...

While vaccines against pneumococcus have prevented millions of infections, the bacteria are difficult to target precisely, because infection can be caused by different serotypes.

Austrian vaccine maker Intercell <ICEL.VI> is starting to test on humans a vaccine candidate to prevent diseases caused by pneumococcus bacteriae in a phase I clinical trial, the company said on ...