title: International pneumococcal clones match or exceed the fitness of other strains despite the accumulation of antibiotic resistance.
abstract: A few international pneumococcal clones dominate the population of antibiotic-resistant pneumococci. Despite the scientific paradigm that a loss in fitness is the price for acquisition of resistance, these clones spread successfully. One hundred fifty-four isolates from adult patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) were analyzed. Thirty percent showed a close relationship to international clones and had fitness equal to or exceeding that of other strains (P = 0.015); these factors may result in the endurance of these strains despite a reduction of antibiotic usage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rudolf
authors.forename: Nikolay
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Michaylov
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: van der Linden
authors.forename: Ludwig
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hoy
authors.forename: Keith P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Klugman
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Welte
authors.forename: Mathias W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Pletz
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D058885:Multilocus Sequence Typing; D011018:Pneumonia, Pneumococcal / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D012703:Serotyping; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents