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Penicillin resistance and serotyping of Streptococcus pneumoniae in Latin America

Paulo Camargos1, Gilberto Bueno Fischer, Helena Mocelin

  • 1Department of Paediatrics, Medical School, Federal University of Minas Geraias, Avenida Alfredo Balena, 190/Room 4061, 30130-100 Belo Horizonte, and Respiratory Department, Hospital da Criança Santo Antonio, Porto Alegre, Brazil. pcamargs@medicina.ufmg.br

Paediatric Respiratory Reviews
|August 30, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Streptococcus pneumoniae causes severe pneumonia in young children. A study found prevalent serotypes and penicillin resistance in Latin America, with limited vaccine representation.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric infectious diseases
  • Bacteriology
  • Vaccinology

Background:

  • Streptococcus pneumoniae is a leading cause of bacterial pneumonia in children under five, particularly in developing nations.
  • High mortality rates associated with Strep. pneumoniae pneumonia necessitate effective prevention and treatment strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify prevalent Streptococcus pneumoniae serotypes in Latin America.
  • To assess the representativity of these serotypes in current conjugated vaccines.
  • To determine the level of penicillin resistance in isolated strains.

Main Methods:

  • The Regional System for Vaccines Group (SIREVA) of the pan-American Health Organisation (PAHO) conducted a study across six Latin American countries.
  • Serotyping of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates was performed.
  • Penicillin resistance levels were determined for the identified serotypes.

Main Results:

  • Several serotypes, including 14, 5, 1, 6A/B, 23F, 7F, 9V, 19F, 18C, 19A, and 9N, were found to be prevalent in the region.
  • Penicillin resistance varied significantly, from 2% in Brazil to 21.1% in Mexico.
  • Only 58% of the isolated serotypes were covered by the seven-valent conjugated vaccine.

Conclusions:

  • Continued surveillance of Streptococcus pneumoniae serotypes and antibiotic resistance is crucial for Latin America.
  • The current seven-valent vaccine does not fully cover the prevalent serotypes in the region.
  • Ongoing monitoring is essential to guide the selection of appropriate conjugated vaccine formulations for optimal public health impact.

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