Does Pneumococcal Pneumonia Cause Complications?
In about 30 percent of people with pneumococcal pneumonia, the bacteria invade the blood stream from the lungs [http://www.cdc.gov/nip/publications/pink/pneumo2.pdf pp. 249-263]. This causes bacteremia, a very serious Pneumococcal pneumonia also can cause other lung problems and certain heart problems. What Research is Going On? The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) supports research on more effective prevention and treatment approaches to control pneumonia and its causes. These include • Developing and licensing vaccines and treatments for the disease-causing microbes (pathogens) that cause pneumonia • Stimulating research on the structure and function of these pathogens • Developing better and more rapid diagnostic tools • Understanding the long-term health impact respiratory pathogens have in various populations • Examining the effect of vaccines in high-risk populations • Determining how pneumococcus becomes resistant to antibiotics The recently approved
