Pathogen- and Type-Specific Changes in Invasive Bacterial Disease Epidemiology during the First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic in The Netherlands

Anneke Steens; Mirjam J Knol; Wieke Freudenburg-de Graaf; Hester E de Melker; Arie van der Ende; Nina M van Sorge

doi:10.3390/microorganisms10050972

Pathogen- and Type-Specific Changes in Invasive Bacterial Disease Epidemiology during the First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic in The Netherlands

Microorganisms. 2022 May 5;10(5):972. doi: 10.3390/microorganisms10050972.

Authors

Anneke Steens¹, Mirjam J Knol¹, Wieke Freudenburg-de Graaf^{2

3}, Hester E de Melker¹, Arie van der Ende^{2

3

4}, Nina M van Sorge^{2

3

4}

Affiliations

¹ Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), 3721 MA Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
² Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
³ Netherlands Reference Laboratory for Bacterial Meningitis, Amsterdam UMC, Location AMC, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
⁴ Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Abstract

COVID-19 control measures have resulted in a decline in invasive bacterial disease caused by Neisseria meningitidis (IMD), Streptococcus pneumoniae (IPD), and Haemophilus influenzae (Hi-D). These species comprise different serogroups and serotypes that impact transmissibility and virulence. We evaluated type- and pathogen-specific changes in invasive bacterial disease epidemiology in the Netherlands during the first year of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Cases were based on nationwide surveillance for five bacterial species with either respiratory (IMD, IPD, Hi-D) or non-respiratory (controls) transmission routes and were compared from the pre-COVID period (April 2015−March 2020) to the first COVID-19 year (April 2020−March 2021). IMD, IPD, and Hi-D cases decreased by 78%, 67%, and 35%, respectively, in the first COVID-19 year compared to the pre-COVID period, although effects differed per age group. Serogroup B-IMD declined by 61%, while serogroup W and Y-IMD decreased >90%. IPD caused by serotypes 7F, 15A, 12F, 33F, and 8 showed the most pronounced decline (≥76%). In contrast to an overall decrease in Hi-D cases, vaccine-preventable serotype b (Hib) increased by 51%. COVID-19 control measures had pathogen- and type-specific effects related to invasive infections. Continued surveillance is critical to monitor potential rebound effects once restriction measures are lifted and transmission is resumed.

Keywords: COVID-19; Haemophilus influenzae disease; invasive meningococcal disease; invasive pneumococcal disease; molecular epidemiology; serogroup; serotype.

Grants and funding

This research received no external funding and is funded by the regular budget of the NRLBM and the Centre for Infectious Disease Control of the RIVM.