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Peer-reviewedCC BYInternational Journal of Infectious Diseases

Rethinking pneumococcal surveillance through indoor air sampling

  • Bieke Tack1
  • Caspar Geenen2
  • Tessa Nieuwenhuijsen3
  • Lize Cuypers4
  • Kurt Beuselinck5
  • Krzysztof Trzciński3
  • Emmanuel André4
  • Stefanie Desmet4
5 affiliations
  1. 1Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Reference Centre for Respiratory Pathogens and Invasive; Corresponding author.
  2. 2Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Laboratory of Clinical Microbiology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
  3. 3Department of Pediatric Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital, University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU), Utrecht, The Netherlands
  4. 4Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Reference Centre for Respiratory Pathogens and Invasive; Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Laboratory of Clinical Microbiology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
  5. 5Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Reference Centre for Respiratory Pathogens and Invasive
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Abstract

Background: Pneumococcal surveillance remains challenging due to limited invasive disease surveillance and logistically demanding nasopharyngeal carriage studies, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). We evaluated indoor air sampling as a noninvasive approach for monitoring pneumococcal circulation and serotype distribution. Methods: Monthly indoor air samples were collected over 20 months (January 2022-September 2023) in a Belgian childcare center. Samples were analyzed by qPCR for pneumococcal detection and serotype identification. Results: Pneumococci were detected in all samples. After excluding serotypes with known specificity issues, 15 serotypes/serogroups were identified, with a mean of seven per sample. Commonly detected serotypes largely matched those reported in Belgian carriage studies and invasive disease surveillance. Conclusions: Indoor air sampling captured signals of community pneumococcal circulation and serotype dynamics. With further validation, it could provide a scalable, affordable surveillance tool to support vaccine policy, monitor vaccine impact, and strengthen respiratory pathogen surveillance, particularly in LMICs.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{tack2026rethinking,
  title = {{Rethinking pneumococcal surveillance through indoor air sampling}},
  author = {Bieke Tack and Caspar Geenen and Tessa Nieuwenhuijsen and Lize Cuypers and Kurt Beuselinck and Krzysztof Trzciński and Emmanuel André and Stefanie Desmet},
  journal = {International Journal of Infectious Diseases},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.1016/j.ijid.2026.109091},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijid.2026.109091},
  note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Rethinking pneumococcal surveillance through indoor air sampling
AU  - Bieke Tack
AU  - Caspar Geenen
AU  - Tessa Nieuwenhuijsen
AU  - Lize Cuypers
AU  - Kurt Beuselinck
AU  - Krzysztof Trzciński
AU  - Emmanuel André
AU  - Stefanie Desmet
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/30
JO  - International Journal of Infectious Diseases
DO  - 10.1016/j.ijid.2026.109091
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijid.2026.109091
AB  - Background: Pneumococcal surveillance remains challenging due to limited invasive disease surveillance and logistically demanding nasopharyngeal carriage studies, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). We evaluated indoor air sampling as a noninvasive approach for monitoring pneumococcal circulation and serotype distribution. Methods: Monthly indoor air samples were collected over 20 months (January 2022-September 2023) in a Belgian childcare center. Samples were analyzed by qPCR for pneumococcal detection and serotype identification. Results: Pneumococci were detected in all samples. After excluding serotypes with known specificity issues, 15 serotypes/serogroups were identified, with a mean of seven per sample. Commonly detected serotypes largely matched those reported in Belgian carriage studies and invasive disease surveillance. Conclusions: Indoor air sampling captured signals of community pneumococcal circulation and serotype dynamics. With further validation, it could provide a scalable, affordable surveillance tool to support vaccine policy, monitor vaccine impact, and strengthen respiratory pathogen surveillance, particularly in LMICs.
SN  - 1201-9712
SN  - 1878-3511
ER  -