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Capsular serotype and antibiotic resistance of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates in Malaysia

Cheng-Foh Le1, Navindra Kumari Palanisamy, Mohd Yasim Mohd Yusof

  • 1Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Plos One
|May 24, 2011
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Pneumococcal serotypes in Malaysia show significant penicillin resistance, with serotypes 19F and 23F being most common. The 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) is expected to be effective, but ongoing surveillance is crucial.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Epidemiology
  • Vaccinology

Background:

  • Streptococcus pneumoniae causes severe infections globally, posing a significant public health challenge.
  • Understanding pneumococcal serotype distribution is vital for vaccine efficacy assessment.
  • Malaysia faces a public health concern due to pneumococcal infections.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the serotype distribution of pneumococcal isolates in Malaysia.
  • To predict the efficacy of the 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) in the Malaysian population.
  • To analyze the association between serotypes, penicillin resistance, and patient demographics.

Main Methods:

  • Serotyping of 151 clinical isolates using multiplex PCR assays.
  • Analysis of penicillin resistance patterns among S. pneumoniae strains.
  • Statistical analysis to determine associations between serotypes, invasiveness, penicillin susceptibility, age, and infection sites.

Main Results:

  • Prevalence of penicillin-resistant (21.2%), intermediate (29.1%), and susceptible (49.7%) S. pneumoniae strains.
  • Identified serotypes include 1, 3, 10A, 11A/11D, 12F/12A, 14, 15A, 15B/15C, 16F, 18C/18B/18A/18F, 19A, 19F, 23F, 35B, 35F/47F, 6A/6B, 7C/7B/40, 7F/7A, 9V/9A, and 34.
  • Serotypes 19F and 23F were most prevalent. Serotype 19F showed increased penicillin resistance, while 19A was highly invasive. Invasive potential and penicillin susceptibility were strongly linked to serotypes. Children under 5 and elderly adults were identified as high-risk groups.

Conclusions:

  • The 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) is expected to offer encouraging protection in Malaysia due to the formulation of key serotypes.
  • Continued surveillance of circulating pneumococcal serotypes is essential to monitor potential shifts and emerging predominant types.
  • The study highlights the importance of age and infection site in pneumococcal serotype prevalence.

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