Increase in Pilus Islet 2–encoded Pili among Streptococcus pneumoniaeIsolates, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Dorothea Zähner, Emory University; Aditya Gudlavalleti, Emory University; David S Stephens, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2010-06
• Publisher: U.S. National Center for Infectious Diseases
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: Emerging Infectious Diseases is published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a U.S. Government agency. Therefore, all materials published in Emerging Infectious Diseases are in the public domain and can be used without permission.
• License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/16/6/09-1820_article.htm
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Emerging Infectious Diseases
• ISSN: 1080-6040
• Volume: 16
• Issue: 6
• Start Page: 955
• End Page: 962
• Grant/Funding Information: This work was supported by funds from National Institutes of Health grant #R01AI 070829 (D.S.S.) and a Veterans Administration Merit Award from the Department of Veterans Affairs (D.S.S.).
• Keywords: research; vaccine; pili; Streptococcus pneumoniae; bacteria; serotypes; streptococci
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Epidemiology

Abstract

To define the prevalence of pilus islet 2 (PI-2)–encoded pili in Streptococcus pneumoniae in a geographically defined area, we examined 590 S. pneumoniae isolates from population-based surveillance of invasive pneumococcal disease in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, 1994–2006. In 2006, PI-2 was present in 21% of all invasive isolates, including serotypes 1 (100%), 7F (89%), 11A (21%), 19A (40%), and 19F (75%). Only serotype 19F is included in the 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine that is in use worldwide. In 1999, PI-2-containing isolates were of the same serotypes but accounted for only 3.6% of all invasive isolates. The increase of PI-2 in 2006 resulted predominantly from the emergence of serotype 19A isolates of sequence type 320 and the expansion of serotype 7F isolates. The increase in PI-2-containing isolates and the finding that isolates of all identified serotypes expressed highly conserved PI-2 pili supports their potential as a vaccine candidate.