title: Characterization of German penicillin non-susceptible serotype 23F pneumococci using multilocus sequence typing.
abstract: Three nationwide multicentre studies (n = 5071) showed an increase in antibiotic resistance in pneumococci in Germany. Serotype 23F was the predominant serotype (n = 45, 22.4 %), followed by 6B (n = 30, 14.9 %) and 9V (n = 19, 9.5 %). Multilocus sequence typing was used to characterize 45 serotype 23F strains with reduced penicillin susceptibility. The Spanish(23F)-1 clone [profile 4-4-2-4-4-1-1, sequence type (ST) 81] contributes significantly to the emergence of penicillin resistance in Germany (n = 21, 46.7 % of all penicillin non-susceptible serotype 23F isolates). Isolates of ST 277 (profile 7-13-8-6-6-12-8), which has been found previously in the Netherlands, are also observed, particularly in western Germany (n = 8, 17.8 %). A high proportion of strains (n = 11, 24.4 %) have sequence types that have not been reported to date from other countries (STs 353-362). The major penicillin-resistant clones are present in Germany, a country with relatively low levels of beta-lactam resistance.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Microbiology, National Reference Center for Streptococci, University Hospital, D-52057 Aachen, Germany 2Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Imperial College School of Medicine, St Mary's Campus, London W2 1PG, UK 3Department of Microbiology, University of Oxford, and Department of Public Health & Primary Care, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK 4Institute of Microbiology, University of Kaiserslautern, Germany.
authors.forename: Ralf René
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Reinert
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Microbiology, National Reference Center for Streptococci, University Hospital, D-52057 Aachen, Germany 2Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Imperial College School of Medicine, St Mary's Campus, London W2 1PG, UK 3Department of Microbiology, University of Oxford, and Department of Public Health & Primary Care, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK 4Institute of Microbiology, University of Kaiserslautern, Germany.
authors.forename: Stefanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Muckel
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Microbiology, National Reference Center for Streptococci, University Hospital, D-52057 Aachen, Germany 2Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Imperial College School of Medicine, St Mary's Campus, London W2 1PG, UK 3Department of Microbiology, University of Oxford, and Department of Public Health & Primary Care, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK 4Institute of Microbiology, University of Kaiserslautern, Germany.
authors.forename: Adnan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Al-Lahham
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Microbiology, National Reference Center for Streptococci, University Hospital, D-52057 Aachen, Germany 2Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Imperial College School of Medicine, St Mary's Campus, London W2 1PG, UK 3Department of Microbiology, University of Oxford, and Department of Public Health & Primary Care, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK 4Institute of Microbiology, University of Kaiserslautern, Germany.
authors.forename: Brian G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Spratt
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Microbiology, National Reference Center for Streptococci, University Hospital, D-52057 Aachen, Germany 2Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Imperial College School of Medicine, St Mary's Campus, London W2 1PG, UK 3Department of Microbiology, University of Oxford, and Department of Public Health & Primary Care, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK 4Institute of Microbiology, University of Kaiserslautern, Germany.
authors.forename: Angela B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Brueggemann
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Microbiology, National Reference Center for Streptococci, University Hospital, D-52057 Aachen, Germany 2Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Imperial College School of Medicine, St Mary's Campus, London W2 1PG, UK 3Department of Microbiology, University of Oxford, and Department of Public Health & Primary Care, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK 4Institute of Microbiology, University of Kaiserslautern, Germany.
authors.forename: Regine
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hakenbeck
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Microbiology, National Reference Center for Streptococci, University Hospital, D-52057 Aachen, Germany 2Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Imperial College School of Medicine, St Mary's Campus, London W2 1PG, UK 3Department of Microbiology, University of Oxford, and Department of Public Health & Primary Care, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK 4Institute of Microbiology, University of Kaiserslautern, Germany.
authors.forename: Rudolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lütticken
mesh_terms: D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D010403:Penicillin Resistance; D012703:Serotyping; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects*