Clinical and Economic Burden of Complicated Pneumonia and Invasive Disease due to Streptococcus pneumoniae Serotype 19A in an Ecuadorian Pediatric Reference Hospital

Abstract

Serotype 19A has emerged as an important cause of pneumococcal disease following the introduction of the 10-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV10). In this retrospective study of children hospitalized with culture-confirmed invasive pneumococcal disease at an Ecuadorian pediatric reference hospital, among 46 cases, 43 (93%) were serotype 19A, with most presenting as severe complicated pneumonia. The majority had received three PCV10 doses. Penicillin nonsusceptibility was identified in 88% of isolates. Serotype 19A infections were associated with longer hospitalization and higher medical costs, highlighting the substantial burden of complicated pneumonia due to a non-PCV10 serotype.