Geetha Nagaraj (India)
Central Research Laboratory,KIMS
Microbiology
Dr. Geetha is a senior researcher with a Doctorate in Allied Health Sciences (Microbiology) and 17yrs of research experience in Genomics, molecular biology, microbiology, proteomics, bioinformatics, immunology, Sales & Marketing, and Administration. She was a guest researcher at CDC, Atlanta, USA, Dr. Moon Nahm lab, University of Alabama, Birmingham, USA, and Dr. David Aanensen lab, cGPS, Wellcome Sanger Institute. She has fifteen publications in peer-reviewed journals to her credit and has presented her research as oral/poster presentations in international conferences like ECCMID, ESPID, ISPPD, Gulf Thoracic, and WSPID. She was associated with multicenter, population, and laboratory-based surveillance studies in India. She was actively involved in the implementation of ISO15189:2012 and ARS 1651:2018 standards at CRL, KIMS. She has undergone training in Quality management systems - ISO9001:2015, ISO15189:2012 IA &QMS, ARS 1651:2018, GCLP, and HACCP. She is currently working as Associate Professor at Central Research Laboratory, Kempegowda Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangalore, India.

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 Conference Calendar

O019 - CARRIAGE DYNAMICS OF PNEUMOCOCCAL SEROTYPES AMONG PATIENTS WITH SARS-COV-2: A RETROSPECTIVE CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY AMONG INDIAN POPULATION (ID 540)

Session Name
0330 - Parallel Session 03: Pneumococcal Disease and Pneumonia in the Time of COVID-19 (ID 25)
Session Type
Parallel Session
Date
Mon, 20.06.2022
Session Time
15:20 - 16:35
Room
Grand Ballroom East
Presenter
Lecture Time
16:15 - 16:25

Abstract

Background

The COVID-19 epidemic has been a great challenge to the health system. S. pneumoniae coinfection with SARS-CoV-2 can result in synergistic lethality resulting in greater mortality and morbidity. In the study, we have analyzed SARS-CoV-2 impact on pneumococcal carriage in Indian population

Methods

lytA PCR was performed on 1501 COVID19 positive samples, collected between April–May, 2021 at CRL,KIMS. LytA positive samples were subjected to Real-time Multiplex PCR for detection of pneumococcal serotypes

Results

Of 1501 samples,12.5%(n=188) were positive for S.pneumoniae. Ct value representing viral load in these S.pneumoniae positive samples ranged from 11.5-34.5 for orf1ab and 12.2–34.5 for N-gene. Age group of the LytA positive samples ranged from 3-84 yrs. Around 42.5% of LytA positive samples were from 25-44yrs age group (80/188).

Among 188Spn positive samples, 66 samples had one serotype, 59–two serotypes, 22-three serotypes, 12-four serotypes, 3-five serotypes and 26-non-typable. Predominant serotypes in total population were 4,24F,11BC,9LN and 9VA. Among 3-5 yrs children, serotype 1,4 and 11BC were predominant. Serotypes 4,9VA,24F,9LN,19F,23A and 2 were predominant among patients with >65yrs of age. Prevailing serotypes among median age group population (25-44yrs) were 11BC, 24F and 4.

Among the 162 typable samples, vaccine coverage with PCV10, PCV13 and PPV23 was 34.1%, 36.8% and 57.1%; 65.9%, 63.2% and 42.9% were non-vaccine serotypes respectively

Conclusions

No significant differences in pneumococcal-colonization and serotype-distribution found in terms of age, gender and COVID19 viral load. Interestingly,NVTs were higher in comparison to carriage in general population. Awareness on the possible SARS-CoV-2-pneumococcus association is necessary to avoid misdiagnosis and delayed antibiotic therapy.

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