Key points
- Streptococcus pneumoniae can cause many kinds of infection.
- Symptoms depend on where in the body the infection is.
- Serious infections can cause long-term problems or death; mild ones rarely cause complications.
- Talk to your doctor if you're concerned.
Symptoms depend on the part of the body that's infected. CDC.
Symptoms
Pneumonia symptoms usually appear 1 to 3 days after the bacteria enter the body; for other types, experts don't know how long it takes. In general, symptoms look like those of other bacterial infections in the same place (types of pneumococcal disease).
| Infection | Symptoms |
|---|---|
| Pneumonia (lung infection) | chest pain; cough; fever and chills; fast or difficult breathing. Older adults may instead be confused or less alert |
| Meningitis (infection of the lining of the brain and spinal cord) | confusion; fever; headache; sensitivity to light; stiff neck. Babies may feed and drink poorly, be less alert, and vomit |
| Bacteremia (bloodstream infection) | chills; fever; low alertness |
| Ear infection | red, swollen eardrum; ear pain; fever; sleepiness |
| Sinus infection | bad breath; cough; facial pain or pressure; headache; post-nasal drip; runny or stuffy nose; sore throat |
When to get care
Call a healthcare provider right away if you think you or your child may have a serious pneumococcal infection. Serious infections can lead to sepsis — a life-threatening emergency caused by the body's extreme response to infection — as well as long-term problems or death.
Complications
- Pneumonia: airway blockage, collapsed lungs and lung abscesses (pus); empyema (infection around the lungs, in the chest cavity); pericarditis (inflammation of the heart's outer lining). Pneumococcal pneumonia kills about 1 in 20 people who get it.
- Meningitis: developmental delay or hearing loss. About 1 in 12 children and 1 in 6 older adults with pneumococcal meningitis die of it.
- Bacteremia: can lead to loss of limbs. About 1 in 30 children and 1 in 8 adults with it die of it.
- Mild infections, such as ear and sinus infections: complications are rare and usually not severe.
More from CDC: meningitis · pneumonia · sepsis.
Sources
Based on "Pneumococcal Disease Symptoms and Complications," Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; a work of the United States government in the public domain. A stock photograph on the page is not reproduced.
Licence: CC0 1.0 (public domain) · Adapted from www.cdc.gov
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