AUTHOR=Morris Denise E. , Cleary David W. , Clarke Stuart C. 

TITLE=Secondary Bacterial Infections Associated with Influenza Pandemics

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=8

YEAR=2017

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2017.01041

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2017.01041

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p>Lower and upper respiratory infections are the fourth highest cause of global mortality (<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B104">Lozano et al., 2012</xref>). Epidemic and pandemic outbreaks of respiratory infection are a major medical concern, often causing considerable disease and a high death toll, typically over a relatively short period of time. Influenza is a major cause of epidemic and pandemic infection. Bacterial co/secondary infection further increases morbidity and mortality of influenza infection, with <italic>Streptococcus pneumoniae</italic>, <italic>Haemophilus influenzae</italic>, and <italic>Staphylococcus aureus</italic> reported as the most common causes. With increased antibiotic resistance and vaccine evasion it is important to monitor the epidemiology of pathogens in circulation to inform clinical treatment and development, particularly in the setting of an influenza epidemic/pandemic.</p>