Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 4, 2026
Constructing Mutants in Serotype 1 Streptococcus pneumoniae strain 519/43
Published on: September 11, 2020
Molecular analysis of Streptococcus pneumoniae clones causing invasive disease in children in Singapore
J M C Jefferies1,2,3, W S N Tee4, S C Clarke1,2,3
1Southampton NIHR Biomedical Research Unit in Respiratory Medicine, Southampton, UK.
Insights
This study analyzed invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) in Singaporean children, finding common serotypes covered by pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCV). Further research is needed on circulating pneumococcal strains.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Epidemiology
- Vaccinology
Background:
- Streptococcus pneumoniae causes significant pediatric illness globally.
- Limited epidemiological data exists for invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) in Southeast Asia, including Singapore.
- Baseline IPD data is crucial for informing pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) policy in Singapore.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the molecular epidemiology of IPD isolates in Singapore.
- To compare Singaporean multilocus sequence typing (MLST) data with global data.
- To assess pneumococcal serotype distribution concerning current PCV formulations.
Main Methods:
- Characterization of 86 invasive pneumococcal isolates from Singaporean children (2001-2006).
- Utilized serotyping and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) for isolate analysis.
- Comparison of MLST data with international databases.
Main Results:
- Identified 50 sequence types (STs), including 16 novel STs.
- Serotype distribution was comparable to global data, with serotypes 14, 6B, 19A, and 19F causing 85% of IPD.
- PCV7, PCV10, and PCV13 demonstrated high coverage (85%, 86%, and 97% respectively).
Conclusions:
- The study highlights the need for extensive research into the molecular epidemiology and antibiotic susceptibility of pneumococcal clones in Singapore.
- Established baseline data for IPD in Singapore to guide vaccine policy.
- Demonstrated the effectiveness of existing PCV formulations against prevalent serotypes.
Abstract:
Streptococcus pneumoniae remains a leading cause of serious paediatric disease. However, there are few published epidemiological data regarding invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) in many countries in South East Asia, including Singapore. Baseline data for IPD are essential to inform policy regarding pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) use in Singapore. To our knowledge, this is the first study to use multilocus sequence typing (MLST) to investigate clonal relationships among Singaporean IPD isolates. We characterized 86 invasive pneumococci isolated from Singaporean children between 2001 and 2006 using serotyping and MLST. The objectives were to compare Singaporean MLST data to worldwide data and to assess serotype distribution in relation to current PCV formulations. We observed 50 sequence types (STs), a high proportion of which (n = 16) were novel STs. Despite the presence of these novel STs, serotype distribution was similar to that observed elsewhere. Serotypes 14, 6B, 19A and 19F accounted for 85 % of IPD cases. PCV7, PCV10 and PCV13 covered 85 %, 86 % and 97 % of IPD isolates, respectively. We have demonstrated a pressing need for larger studies to determine the molecular epidemiology and antibiotic susceptibility of circulating pneumococcal clones from both carriage and disease in Singapore.
More Related Videos
09:12Characterization of Inflammatory Responses During Intranasal Colonization with Streptococcus pneumoniae
Published on: January 17, 2014
11:32Following in Real Time the Impact of Pneumococcal Virulence Factors in an Acute Mouse Pneumonia Model Using Bioluminescent Bacteria
Published on: February 23, 2014