Increased rates of invasive bacterial disease in late 2022

Abstract

Invasive bacterial disease is associated with signi cant morbidity and mortality. In winter 2022, there was an apparent increased rate of invasive bacterial disease compared to preceding years. Methods:Cross-site retrospective analysis of the three Children's Health Ireland (CHI) hospitals looking at children admitted between 1st October 2022 -31st December 2022 (Q4) with community-acquired invasive bacterial disease, de ned as an abscess in a normally sterile site in the head, neck and chest or isolation or PCR detection of Streptococcus pneumoniae, Neisseria meningitidis, Streptococcus pyogenes (Group A streptococcus), or Haemophilus in uenzae from a normally sterile site. Case numbers were compared to Q4 in each of 2018 -2021. Results:82 children met the case de nition in Q4 2022 vs 97 (Q4 2018 -2021). In 2022, 42/82 (51%) were