Outbreak of invasive pneumococcal disease among shipyard workers, Turku, Finland, May to November 2019

Euro Surveill. 2019 Dec;24(49):1900681. doi: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2019.24.49.1900681.

Abstract

We report an outbreak of invasive pneumococcal disease and pneumococcal pneumonia among shipyard workers, in Turku, Southwest Finland. In total, 31 confirmed and six probable cases were identified between 3 May and 28 November 2019. Streptococcus pneumoniae serotypes 12F, 4 and 8 were isolated from blood cultures of 25 cases. Occupational hygiene measures and vaccination of ca 4,000 workers are underway to control the outbreak at the shipyard.

Keywords: Finland; Invasive pneumococcal disease; Outbreak; Streptococcus pneumoniae; pneumococcus; shipyard.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Disease Outbreaks*
  • Female
  • Finland / epidemiology
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Multilocus Sequence Typing
  • Pneumococcal Infections / blood
  • Pneumococcal Infections / diagnosis*
  • Pneumococcal Infections / epidemiology
  • Pneumococcal Infections / microbiology
  • Pneumonia, Pneumococcal / blood
  • Pneumonia, Pneumococcal / diagnosis*
  • Pneumonia, Pneumococcal / epidemiology
  • Serogroup
  • Streptococcus pneumoniae / genetics
  • Streptococcus pneumoniae / isolation & purification*
  • Whole Genome Sequencing