Molecular Epidemiology of Penicillin-Susceptible, Multidrug-Resistant Serotype 6B Pneumococci Isolated from Children in Greece
Since January 1996, and over a 3-year time span, a significant spread of serotype 6B multidrug-resistant (MDR) pneumococci, susceptible to penicillin and resistant to erythromycin, clindamycin, tetracycline, chloramphenicol, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, was noted in young carriers living in ce...
Published in: | Journal of Clinical Microbiology |
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Main Authors: | , , , , , |
Format: | Text |
Language: | English |
Published: |
American Society for Microbiology
2001
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Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC87779 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11158110 https://doi.org/10.1128/JCM.39.2.581-585.2001 |
Summary: | Since January 1996, and over a 3-year time span, a significant spread of serotype 6B multidrug-resistant (MDR) pneumococci, susceptible to penicillin and resistant to erythromycin, clindamycin, tetracycline, chloramphenicol, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, was noted in young carriers living in central and southern Greece. Using restriction fragment end labeling and penicillin binding protein (PBP) genotyping, we studied 41 serotype 6B penicillin-susceptible MDR pneumococci isolated during two independent studies in Greece. Forty (98%) of these 41 isolates were strongly related, representing a single lineage (genetic relatedness, ≥91%). The Greek isolates were closely related (genetic relatedness, ∼91%) to the penicillin-resistant MDR clone of serotype 6B that spread from Spain to Iceland in the late 1980s. Moreover, the Greek group of isolates was genetically distinct (genetic relatedness, ≤83%) from other penicillin-susceptible or -resistant serotype 6B strains from various parts of the world. All serotype 6B penicillin-susceptible MDR isolates displayed a penicillin-susceptible PBP 1A-2B-2X genotype. Our findings suggest that the penicillin-susceptible MDR 6B clone that was found in Greece between the years 1996 and 1999 represents the ancestor of the pandemic penicillin-resistant MDR clone 6B. |
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