We conducted a retrospective study on all cases of pneumococcal septic arthritis (SA) in patients >18 years of age reported to the Picardie Regional Pneumococcal Network in France during 2005-2016. Among 1,062 cases of invasive pneumococcal disease, we observed 16 (1.5%) SA cases. Although SA is uncommon in adult patients, the prevalence of pneumococcal SA in the Picardie region increased from 0.69% during 2005-2010 to 2.47% during 2011-2016 after introduction of the pneumococcal 13-valent conjugate vaccine. We highlight the emergence of SA cases caused by the 23B serotype, which is not covered in the vaccine.
Keywords: France; Streptococcus pneumoniae; bacteria; pneumococcal disease; septic arthritis; vaccines.