Pneumococcal serotypes in Europe: results of a surveillance report for 1999

A total of 4795 pneumococcal isolates from nine European countries and Israel were reported to a European surveillance project on pneumococcal serotypes for 1999 (1). The aim of the surveillance was not to describe the incidence of pneumococcal infection, but to monitor pneumococcal serotypes. Considerable variation was found in country and age distribution.