2024-05-07 13:06:26
(ANSA) – ROME, MAY 07 – Streptococcus raised its head again at the end of the pandemic, especially to the detriment of younger children, who became more ill in 2023, probably due to an immune debt linked precisely to the protections used during the covid: in fact a study conducted at the Catholic University – IRCSS Fondazione Policlinico Gemelli and published in Lancet Microbe has photographed the situation of 2023, with many children in bed with high fever and swollen tonsils, with pharmacies taken by storm for diagnostic tests , with an incidence rapidly returning to the levels of the pre-pandemic period. In fact, in the case studies of the Gemelli pediatric emergency room, in 2023 13-16% of all samples examined tested positive for streptococcus. In particular, the M1 immunotype, the most serious and virulent, circulated the most.
The study is based on data collected between 2018 and 2023: the researchers analyzed the incidence of Streptococcus pyogenes (GAS) infection, through the privileged observatory of the pediatric emergency room, directed by Antonio Chiaretti. In total, over 1,800 samples from throat-tonsillar swabs of children who came to the emergency room with flu symptoms were collected and examined. “Between 2020 and 2022 – explains Maurizio Sanguinetti, full professor of Microbiology at the Cattolica, director of the Department of Laboratory and Infectious Sciences, who coordinated the study together with Chiaretti – we observed a significant reduction in Streptococcus infections, both in terms of quantity of samples received (due to reduced access), and a significant percentage reduction in positives. Non-pharmacological protection measures, such as the mask in those years, reduced contact with the microorganism and infection”.
However, the bacterium was then able to raise its guard again, especially affecting the little ones. “The suspicion is that the children – explains Sanguinetti – having been significantly protected during Covid, have not developed the normal, partially protective immunity against the infection”.
“Contact with microorganisms – underlines Sanguinetti – is essential for ‘training’ the immune system to respond to infections. The hypothesis is therefore that the reduced contact with this microorganism has caused an ‘immunological debt’ in younger children, preventing them from develop protection, even partial, and this has led to an increase in cases.
The study also highlights another problem: if a child is highly symptomatic (high fever, enlarged and inflamed tonsils) it is advisable not to rely only on the do-it-yourself rapid test purchased at the pharmacy; only a throat-tonsillar swab carried out in the laboratory, followed by a culture test (and a possible in vitro drug sensitivity test, i.e. an antibiogram) allows the microorganism to be characterized, with both diagnostic and epidemiological implications for evaluating the possible circulation of hyper-virulent strains, the experts conclude. (HANDLE).
2024-05-07 13:06:26