How can I help you?… czyli angielski w aptece – Pneumococcal infections

Streptococcus pneumoniae is also known as pneumococcus and is a significant anaerobic bacterium found in noses and throats of healthy people, children and adults. Currently there are about 90 known pneumococcal types. They are spread from person to person through respiratory droplets of coughts and sneezes (so called „droplet spread”).
Despite the name, pneumococci may cause not only pneumonia – the most common form of community-acquired bacterial form of this disease, but also other more or less serious infections. The bacterium is a common cause of mild illnesses, such as otitis media (middle ear infection) and sinusitis, but it is also known to invade the covering of brain (and cause meningitis) or bloodstream (and cause bacteremia).

Streptococcus pneumoniae is also known as pneumococcus and is a significant anaerobic bacterium found in noses and throats of healthy people, children and adults. Currently there are about 90 known pneumococcal types. They are spread from person to person through respiratory droplets of coughts and sneezes (so called „droplet spread”).
Despite the name, pneumococci may cause not only pneumonia – the most common form of community-acquired bacterial form of this disease, but also other more or less serious infections. The bacterium is a common cause of mild illnesses, such as otitis media (middle ear infection) and sinusitis, but it is also known to invade the covering of brain (and cause meningitis) or bloodstream (and cause bacteremia).
Anyone can get pneumococcal infection, but there are some groups at particularly high risk for pneumococcal diseases: small children, people aged 65 and older, smokers, individuals with chronic diseases, such as asthma, diabetes, alcoholism, heart and lung diseases, patients with conditions that suppress the immune system, such as HIV infection or immunosuppression after transplantations.
Pneumococcal infections of all types are treated with antibiotics, primarily with penicillins. Unfortunately, in recent years more and more bacterial strains have become resistant to penicillins. There are many efforts made to find new possibilities to fight pneumococci. New antibiotics appear. Nevertheless, there can be no assurance that this new weapon will be efficient for a long time – the microorganisms are quicker than we are.
Currently it is believed that the best way to prevent pneumococcal diseases is vaccination. There are two types of vaccines on the market: the pneumococcal conjugated vaccine (PCV) and the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV). PCV is licensed for use in young children and it protects against the 7 most common pneumococcal serotypes. PPV is used in adults and children over 2 years of age with indications for this type of vaccine – it is not able to immunize younger children.

• anaerobic [ænəˈroʊbɪk] – beztlenowy
• respiratory droplets [ˈrɛspərətɔri ˈdrɒplɪtz] – kropelki wydzieliny dróg oddechowych
• cough [kɒf] – kaszel
• sneeze [sniz] – kichnięcie
• droplet spread [ˈdrɒplɪt sprɛd] – przenoszenie drogą kropelkową
• community-acquired [kəˈmyunɪti əˈkwaɪərd] – nabywane przez kontakt
• pneumonia [nʊˈmoʊnyə] – zapalenie płuc
• otitis media [oʊˈtaɪtɪs ˈmidiə] – zapalenie ucha środkowego
• middle ear [ˈmɪdl ɪər] – ucho środkowe
• sinusitis [saɪnəˈsaɪtɪs] – zapalenie zatok
• meningitis [mɛnɪnˈdʒaɪtɪs] – zapalenie opon mózgowych
• asthma [ˈæzmə] – astma
• diabetes [daɪəˈbitɪs] – cukrzyca
• primarily [praɪˈmɛərəli] – głównie, przede wszystkim
• resistant [rɪˈzɪstənt] – oporny
• assurance [əˈʃʊərəns] – pewność
• weapon [ˈwɛpən] – broń
• efficient [ɪˈfɪʃənt] – skuteczny, wydajny
• conjugated [ˈkɒndʒəgeɪtɪt] – skoniugowany
• polysaccharide [pɒliˈsækəraɪd] – polisacharyd
• indication [ɪndɪˈkeɪʃən] – wskazanie
• immunize [ˈɪmyənaɪz] – immunizować