Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus)

Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus)
A type of bacterium that comes in pairs and is shaped like a lancet (a surgical knife with a short wide two-edged blade). Pneumococcus is the leading cause of bacterial pneumonia and otitis media (middle ear infections) and an important contributor to bacterial meningitis. Pneumococcal infections are the most common invasive bacterial infections in children in the United States, causing about 1,400 cases of meningitis, 17,000 cases of bloodstream infections, and 71,000 cases of pneumonia every year in children under 5. Vaccines now exist for those individuals at high risk of infection with this bacterium. The formal name of the bacterium is currently Streptococcus pneumoniae. (The "strepto-" means twisted and "-coccus" comes from the Greek kokkos meaning berry.) Because of its coming in pairs, it has also been called Diplococcus pneumoniae. "Pneumoniae" refers to its propensity to settle in the lungs and cause pneumonia.

Medical dictionary. 2011.

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  • Pneumococcus (Streptococcus pneumoniae) — A type of bacterium that comes in pairs and is shaped like a lancet (a surgical knife with a short wide two edged blade). Pneumococcus is the leading cause of bacterial pneumonia and otitis media (middle ear infections) and an important… …   Medical dictionary

  • Streptococcus pneumoniae — the species known as pneumococcus, an α hemolytic species with no specific Lancefield group antigen; it is the usual cause of lobar pneumonia and also causes other serious, acute, pyogenic disorders such as meningitis, septicemia, empyema,… …   Medical dictionary

  • streptococcus — streptococcal /strep teuh kok euhl/, streptococcic /strep teuh kok sik/, adj. /strep teuh kok euhs/, n., pl. streptococci / kok suy, see/. Bacteriol. any of several spherical or oval bacteria of the genus Streptococcus, occurring in pairs or… …   Universalium

  • pneumococcus — [no͞o΄mō käk′əs, nyo͞o΄mō käk′əs] n. pl. pneumococci [no͞o΄mōkäk′sī΄, nyo͞o΄mōkäk′sī΄] [ModL: see PNEUMO & COCCUS] a bacterium (Streptococcus pneumoniae) that is a cause of certain diseases, as pneumonia pneumococcal [no͞o΄mōkäk′əl,… …   English World dictionary

  • pneumococcus — SYN: Streptococcus pneumoniae. [G. pneumon, lung, + kokkos, berry (coccus)] Fraenkel p. SYN: Streptococcus pneumoniae. * * * pneu·mo·coc·cus .n(y)ü mə käk əs n, pl coc·ci käk .(s)ī a bacterium of the genus Streptococcus (S. pneumoniae …   Medical dictionary

  • pneumococcus — pneumococcal /nooh meuh kok euhl, nyooh /, pneumococcic /nooh meuh kok sik, nyooh /, pneumococcous /nooh meuh kok euhs, nyooh /, adj. /nooh meuh kok euhs, nyooh /, n., pl. pneumococci / kok suy, see/. a bacterium, Diplococcus pneumoniae, causing… …   Universalium

  • pneumococcus — noun (plural pneumococci) Etymology: New Latin Date: 1890 a bacterium (Streptococcus pneumoniae) that causes an acute pneumonia involving one or more lobes of the lung • pneumococcal adjective …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • pneumococcus — noun A gram positive bacterium, Streptococcus pneumoniae, that causes pneumonia and other infectious diseases See Also: coccus …   Wiktionary

  • pneumococcus — [ˌnju:mə(ʊ) kɒkəs] noun (plural pneumococci kɒk(s)ʌɪ, kɒk(s)i:) a bacterium associated with pneumonia and some forms of meningitis. [Streptococcus pneumoniae.] Derivatives pneumococcal adjective …   English new terms dictionary

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