First report of putative Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 6D among nasopharyngeal isolates from Fijian children.
BACKGROUND
A putative Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype, 6D, resulting from the introduction of wciN(beta) into serotype 6B has been proposed.


METHODS
We studied 98 unique serogroup 6 isolates from Fijian children, two-thirds of whom had received at least 1 dose of 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, and 51 invasive isolates from Australian children. We used a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) system that targets both wciN(beta) and the single-nucleotide polymorphism that differentiates serotypes 6A and 6B-wciP584g (6A) and wciP584a (6B).


RESULTS
Two (9%) of 22 Australian isolates and 24 (38%) of 64 Fijian isolates previously identified as 6A by the Quellung reaction and wciP584g PCR contained wciN(beta) and were designated as 6C; 14 (41%) of 34 Fijian isolates previously identified as 6B by the Quellung reaction and wciP584a PCR contained wciN(beta) and were designated as the new putative serotype 6D. A significantly smaller proportion of children from whom serotype 6D was isolated (2/14 [14%]) had not received PCV-7, compared with the proportion of those from whom serotype 6B was isolated (11/20 [55%]) (P < .05).


CONCLUSIONS
This is the first report of naturally occurring S. pneumoniae serotype 6D.
Bao'an Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China.
Ping
P
Jin
Fanrong
F
Kong
Meng
M
Xiao
Shahin
S
Oftadeh
Fei
F
Zhou
Chunyi
C
Liu
Fiona
F
Russell
Gwendolyn L
GL
Gilbert
D002353:Carrier State / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005367:Fiji / Q000453:epidemiology; D005838:Genotype; D000069443:Heptavalent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009305:Nasopharynx / Q000382:microbiology*; D022242:Pneumococcal Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics*; D012703:Serotyping; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*
C414006:23-valent pneumococcal capsular polysaccharide vaccine; D000069443:Heptavalent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine; D022242:Pneumococcal Vaccines