SA study links air pollution to deadly pneumonia, sepsis and meningitis risks
Analyses of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) in South Africa found that air pollution can trigger deadly infections, changing the risk and timing of pneumonia, sepsis and meningitis depending on the bacterial subtype a person carries.
Adults and children The study also revealed that older adults and young children are more vulnerable during periods of high air pollution, and that improving air quality could lower disease risk.
Dr Sophie Belman, first author, explained the role of bacterial subtype in shaping infection risk: “While we found that temperature and air pollution generally increase the risk of invasive pneumococcal diseases, such as bacterial meningitis, our research also suggests that it is the bacterial subtypes a person is carrying that modulate infection rates.
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