The Prevailing Types of Pneumococci in Pneumonia and Pneumococcal Infections

A survey of the prevalent types of pneumococci responsible for causing pneumonia, pneumococcal meningitis and empyema has been considered a useful line of investigation, because of the aid it may give in elucidating the epidemiology of pneumonias and in determining their specific therapy. Such a survey, however, is an extremely laborious and technical piece of work, involving as it does the investigation of all the members of a community, including the sick, the contacts, and non-contacts, and marking the carriers. How long potent pneumococci persist in carriers, and the liability to variation of types, are important problems that need an answer. This type of work is possible only in controlled communities.