[Serotypes and epidemiological study of pneumococcal infection in 18 provinces (cities) in China].

During the years 1982 to 1985, 482 strains of S. pneumoniae were isolated from 482 patients of pneumococcal diseases in 18 provinces (cities) in China. There were 67 strains from the patients of pneumococcal pneumonia, 169 strains from pneumococcal meningitis and 246 strains from pneumococcal otitis media. Their serotypes and epidemiology were studied with following results. The rate of pneumococcal pneumonia, meningitis and otitis media was 14.26 cases, 79.08 cases and 68.14 cases per 1000 homologous disease cases, respectively. Most of the infections occurred at the infants while 73.7% pneumococcal meningitis, 63% otitis media and 40.3% pneumonia were in less than or equal to 3 age group. The mortality of patients with pneumococcal pneumonia was 16.4% and with pneumococcal meningitis was 16%. All of isolates of S. pneumoniae were identified using typing antisera (Statens Seruminstitut, Copenhagen). The main types were 5, 6, 1, 19, 2 and 14, which accounted for 56.8% (274 strains) of total number of strains. Type 5 was the most main serotype and accounted for 13.3% (63 strains).