Bug Breakfast in the Bulletin: invasive pneumococcal disease.

Abstract

Invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) is caused by the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae and is a major cause of illness in children and adults worldwide. The bacterium is transmitted between people via respiratory droplets. Many people carry S. pneumoniae harmlessly in their throats but the bacterium occasionally spreads from the upper respiratory tract to other parts of the respiratory tract to cause non-invasive disease (including otitis media) or enters the bloodstream to cause invasive disease (including pneumonia, meningitis or septicaemia). In Australia, only invasive disease is notifiable under public health law.