A Mouse Model for the Transition of Streptococcus pneumoniae from Colonizer to Pathogen upon Viral Co-Infection Recapitulates Age-Exacerbated Illness
Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is an asymptomatic colonizer of the nasopharynx in most individuals but can progress to a pulmonary and systemic pathogen upon influenza A virus (IAV) infection. Advanced age enhances host susceptibility to secondary pneumococcal pneumonia and is associated with worsened disease outcomes. The host factors driving those processes are not well defined, in part
