Outbreak of pneumococcal pneumonia among shipyard workers in Marseille, France, January to February 2020

Abstract

We report the third outbreak of pneumococcal pneumonia within one year among workers in European shipyards. During January and February 2020, 37 cases of pneumonia were identified in a shipyard in Marseille, south-eastern France. Outbreak control measures were implemented, including a mass vaccination campaign with 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine targeting all shipyard workers. Given the high mobility of shipyard workers, coordinated responses between European public health institutes are necessary to avoid further outbreaks.

Transmission factors and exposure to infections at work and invasive pneumococcal disease

“…A recent example of such an outbreak is from a large Finnish shipyard with numerous short‐term employees with multinational background 9 . Similar observations have been made in Norwegian and French shipyards, and on Swedish construction sites 10−12 . In all these studies, the working conditions were described as crowded, with workers of many different nationalities, and combined with occupational exposure to irritants, metal fumes, dust and chemicals.…”

“… 9 Similar observations have been made in Norwegian and French shipyards, and on Swedish construction sites. 10 , 11 , 12 In all these studies, the working conditions were described as crowded, with workers of many different nationalities, and combined with occupational exposure to irritants, metal fumes, dust and chemicals. In the outbreaks in Norway and Finland, the same genetically distinct and uncommon variant of S .…”

Global infectious disease risks associated with occupational exposure among non-healthcare workers: a systematic review of the literature

“…This results in a difficult implementation of outbreak control measures as illustrated in the recent S. pneumoniae outbreak on a shipyard in France. 19 A combined risk factors approach may result in an extended risk assessment strategy based on the former exposure matrix of Haagsma et al, 2 4 19 20 Exposure to respiratory tract pathogens was mentioned in 30 out of 37 (81.1%) of included non-healthcare occupational groups, indicating that biological hazards such as M. tuberculosis (among armed forces, cash collectors, cleaners, miners, prison guards, professional drivers and social workers), measles (armed forces, operators and miners) and SARS-CoV-2 virus (armed forces, meat processing workers, retail workers and ship's stewards) are not limited to healthcare workers and thus must be included in the risk analysis. Many of these respiratory tract infections are readily transmitted where employees congregate, for example, in transportation vehicles, correctional facilities, military barracks, slaughterhouses and meat-packing plants, and shipyards (workplace risk factors).…”

“…This results in a difficult implementation of outbreak control measures as illustrated in the recent S. pneumoniae outbreak on a shipyard in France. 19 A combined risk factors approach may result in an extended risk assessment strategy based on the former exposure matrix of Haagsma et al , 2 by combining human, animal and environmental transmission pathways ( disease risk factors ) with their corresponding workplace risk factors (eg, contact with dust, welding fumes and crowded work environment) and worker risk factors (eg, poor nutritional status, immunosuppression, pregnancy, smoking, viral coinfections and comorbidity). 4 19 20 Exposure to respiratory tract pathogens was mentioned in 30 out of 37 (81.1%) of included non-healthcare occupational groups, indicating that biological hazards such as M. tuberculosis (among armed forces, cash collectors, cleaners, miners, prison guards, professional drivers and social workers), measles (armed forces, operators and miners) and SARS-CoV-2 virus (armed forces, meat processing workers, retail workers and ship’s stewards) are not limited to healthcare workers and thus must be included in the risk analysis.…”

Immunity Testing as a Stage of Forming the Immunocompromised Occupational Cohort for Vaccination against Pneumococcal Disease

“…Интерес к профилактике пневмококковой инфекции объясняется ростом устойчивости возбудителя к антибиотикам и сохраняющимся уровнем заболеваемости во всем мире. Наряду с изменением эпидемиологии микроорганизма, интерес специалистов к возникновению пневмококковой инфекции у рабочих, подвергающихся воздействию вредных производственных факторов, обусловлен и ежегодными вспышками в рабочих коллективах, которые регулярно описываются в медицинской литературе [9]. Разрозненные отчеты о причинах вспышек поддерживают интерес к этой теме.…”