Opportunistic parasites in children with pneumococcal infection in greater Cairo, Egypt.

Vaccination remains the primary preventive strategy in the elderly against Streptococcus pneumoniae and influenza infections. However, the effectiveness of vaccines decreases with increasing age and among patients. This study evaluated the opportunistic parasites infecting vaccinated and non-vaccinated pneumococcal children. The result showed that Invasive children (4%) had bacternrmid, septicemid and pneumococcal but no meningitis while the non-invasive ones (86%) had community acquired freunonia and otitis media. The non-vaccinated children were at risk of Ascaris lumbricoides, Ancylostoma duodenale, Trichuris trichura, Schistosoma mansoni, S. haematobium, bancroftian microfilaria, Enterobius vermicularis, Hymenolepis nana, Giadia lamblia, Entaemeba histolytica and Trichomonas vaginalis.