2025-10-15 インペリアル・カレッジ・ロンドン(ICL)
<関連情報>
- https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/270153/covid-19-linked-decline-immunity-life-threatening-childhood/
- https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2840134
COVID-19による制限解除後の0～4歳児における溶連菌感染症および一般的な呼吸器ウイルスに対する免疫 Immunity to Streptococcus pyogenes and Common Respiratory Viruses at Age 0 to 4 Years After COVID-19 Restrictions
Kitt Dokal, MBBS; Samuel Channon-Wells, MMath; Catherine Davis, BSc;et al
JAMA Network Open Published:October 15, 2025
DOI:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.37808
Key Points
Question Why did rates of life-threatening invasive Streptococcus pyogenes infections increase among children after the COVID-19 pandemic?
Findings In this cross-sectional study of 1942 children, 452 were tested for acquisition of antibody-mediated immunity to S pyogenes; the 67 children aged 3 to 4 years sampled after the introduction of nonpharmaceutical interventions early in the COVID-19 pandemic had significantly lower immunity compared with 87 similar children sampled before the pandemic. Acquisition of immunity to respiratory syncytial virus was similarly affected.
Meaning The findings of this study suggest that nonpharmaceutical interventions aimed at limiting SAR-CoV-2 infections during the COVID-19 pandemic may have had a profound impact on the development of immunity to S pyogenes, exposing the young children to this infection.
Abstract
Importance The upsurge in invasive disease caused by Streptococcus pyogenes among children reported in several European countries during 2022 to 2023 has not been fully explained.
Objective To evaluate whether changes in the circulation of common respiratory pathogens associated with the introduction of nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) during the COVID-19 pandemic were associated with acquisition of immunity to S pyogenes and common respiratory viruses.
Design, Setting, and Participants This cross-sectional study recruited children with suspected infection and afebrile control participants at hospitals in 10 European countries. Data were collected before (September 2016 to March 2020) and after (April 2020 to July 2023) the introduction of NPIs.
Main Outcomes and Measures Molecular detection of bacterial and viral pathogens on throat swabs and age-stratified total serum immunoglobin G (IgG) reactivity to S pyogenes cell wall extract from 2 strains, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), 5 influenza viruses, 4 common cold coronaviruses, and SARS-CoV-2, measured by immunoassay.
Results Throat swabs from 1942 children aged 0 to 4 years were tested for respiratory pathogens (1449 recruited before introduction of NPIs [median (IQR) age, 19.7 (8.2-38.1) months; 798 (55.1%) male]; 493 recruited after [median (IQR) age, 20.7 (9.7-38.1) months; 269 (54.7%) male]). A decrease in detection of S pyogenes, RSV, common cold coronaviruses, and influenza viruses was observed between March 2020 to July 2021, corresponding to the maximal period of NPIs. Antibodies to S pyogenes were measured in 252 children recruited before NPIs and 200 thereafter. Antibodies to viral antigens were measured in 230 children before NPIs and 92 thereafter. Total IgG to S pyogenes and RSV was significantly lower in children aged 3 to 4 years recruited after NPI introduction compared with those recruited before (S pyogenes emm1 strain: after, 67 participants; median [IQR] 0.13 [0.44-0.44] relative units [RU]; before, 87 participants; median [IQR] 0.35 [0.10-0.65] RU; P = .007. RSV: after, 30 participants; median [IQR] 49.6 [31.1-120.7] mesoscale units [MU]/1000; before, 76 participants; median [IQR] 141.8 [78.1-423.1] MU/1000; P < .001). No such differences were observed for children aged 0 to 2 years or for individual influenza viruses or SARS-CoV-2.
Conclusions and Relevance In this cross-sectional study, there was a significant reduction in serum antibodies to S pyogenes and RSV in children aged 3 to 4 years after introduction of NPIs. Equivalent to approximately a 1-year delay in acquisition of immunity, these data suggest a putative biological basis for the 2022 to 2023 upsurge in severe S pyogenes infections in this age group.
