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Erythromycin resistance in invasive serotype 14 pneumococci is highly related to clonal type

S C Clarke1, K J Scott1, S M McChlery1

  • 1Scottish Meningococcus and Pneumococcus Reference Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Stobhill Hospital, Balornock Road, Glasgow G21 3UW, UK 2Division of Infection and Immunity, Institute of Biomedical and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.

Journal of Medical Microbiology
|October 22, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Serotype 14 pneumococci caused 18.2% of invasive diseases in Scotland in 2003. Multilocus sequence typing identified distinct strains, with ST 9 showing erythromycin resistance and ST 124 not.

Area of Science:

  • Medical Microbiology
  • Epidemiology
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 14 is a significant cause of invasive pneumococcal disease.
  • Understanding the genetic diversity and antibiotic resistance patterns of circulating strains is crucial for public health surveillance.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To characterize serotype 14 Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates from invasive disease in Scotland.
  • To determine the genetic relatedness and antibiotic susceptibility profiles of these isolates.

Main Methods:

  • Serotyping was performed to confirm serotype 14.
  • Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) was used to determine sequence types (STs).
  • Antibiotic susceptibility testing was conducted to assess resistance patterns.

Main Results:

  • Sixty-seven serotype 14 pneumococci were isolated from invasive disease cases between January and June 2003.
  • Serotype 14 accounted for 18.2% of all invasive pneumococcal disease cases during the study period.
  • Ten distinct sequence types were identified, with ST 9 and ST 124 being predominant.
  • A significant proportion of ST 9 isolates exhibited erythromycin resistance, whereas ST 124 isolates were generally susceptible.

Conclusions:

  • Serotype 14 Streptococcus pneumoniae represents a notable proportion of invasive pneumococcal disease in Scotland.
  • The identified sequence types, particularly ST 9 and ST 124, are key circulating strains.
  • Differential antibiotic resistance patterns between ST 9 and ST 124 highlight the importance of strain-specific surveillance for effective treatment strategies.

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