Pneumococcal infections during childhood: serotyping of pneumococcal strains from forty-six children.

The results of serotyping of forty-six strains of pneumococci isolated from children aged 3/12 to 14 9/12 years and diagnosed as having pneumonia, meningitis, primary peritonitis, otitis media, lymphadenitis, osteomyelitis, bacteraemia and conjunctivitis are presented. The results of serotyping and the frequency distribution of the detected serotypes were compared to the particular diagnoses established and the age at which the subjects involved had become ill. Questions of epidemiology and possibilities of immunoprophylaxis are discussed. Finally, the occurrence of pneumococci that are resistant to antibiotic agents are discussed since an isolated strain was found to show reduced susceptibility to penicillin G.