Research

TITLE: Prevalence of S. pneumoniae carriage among pre and post Hajj pilgrims from India: a longitudinal study (2016-2017)

Sponsoring agency Pfizer, India Pvt Ltd

Project leader Dr. K L Ravi Kumar, Prof. Emeritus Department of Microbiology, KIMSH&RC

Year in which started 2016

Duration in months 12 months

Research Objectives

• To study the prevalence and serotype distribution of S. pneumoniae in Indian pilgrims pre and post Hajj.
• To know the vaccine coverage of the isolated serotypes.
• To assess the antibiotic susceptibility of S. pneumoniae

Research outcomes

This study demonstrated an increase in the acquisition of pneumococcal carriage in a cohort of pilgrims from pre to post-Hajj. The samples collected were subjected to conventional and molecular techniques providing comprehensiveness of the surveillance data. It provided baseline information on the epidemiology of nasopharyngeal carriage, assessment of drug resistance, distribution of prevalent serotypes and vaccine coverage for the first time among the Indian Hajj pilgrims.The MLST study informed the possibility of acquisition of serotypes during mass gathering events. The results from the study confirmed high acquisition rate of multidrug-resistant S. pneumoniae in Hajj pilgrims and highlight its potential spread to home countries upon their return.