This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Syrogiannopoulos, G. A.
Right arrow Articles by Hermans, P. W. M.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Syrogiannopoulos, G. A.
Right arrow Articles by Hermans, P. W. M.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Journal of Clinical Microbiology, February 2001, p. 581-585, Vol. 39, No. 2
0095-1137/01/$04.00+0   DOI: 10.1128/JCM.39.2.581-585.2001
Copyright © 2001, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Molecular Epidemiology of Penicillin-Susceptible, Multidrug-Resistant Serotype 6B Pneumococci Isolated from Children in Greece

G. A. Syrogiannopoulos,1,* D. Bogaert,2 I. N. Grivea,1 N. G. Beratis,1 R. De Groot,2 and P. W. M. Hermans2

Department of Pediatrics, General University Hospital, University of Patras, School of Medicine, 26 500 Rion, Patras, Greece,1 and Department of Pediatrics, Sophia Children's Hospital, Erasmus University, 3000 DR Rotterdam, The Netherlands2

Received 31 July 2000/Returned for modification 3 October 2000/Accepted 25 November 2000

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.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Disease, University of Patras, School of Medicine, 26 500 Rion, Patras, Greece. Phone: 30-61-993948. Fax: 30-61-994533. E-mail: syrogian{at}med.upatras.gr.

Journal of Clinical Microbiology, February 2001, p. 581-585, Vol. 39, No. 2
0095-1137/01/$04.00+0   DOI: 10.1128/JCM.39.2.581-585.2001
Copyright © 2001, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.


This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Bogaert, D., Hermans, P. W. M., Grivea, I. N., Katopodis, G. S., Mitchell, T. J., Sluijter, M., de Groot, R., Beratis, N. G., Syrogiannopoulos, G. A. (2003). Molecular Epidemiology of Penicillin-Susceptible Non-{beta}-Lactam-Resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae Isolates from Greek Children. J. Clin. Microbiol. 41: 5633-5639 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Gherardi, G., Del Grosso, M., Scotto d'Abusco, A., D'Ambrosio, F., Dicuonzo, G., Pantosti, A. (2003). Phenotypic and Genotypic Characterization of Two Penicillin-Susceptible Serotype 6B Streptococcus pneumoniae Clones Circulating in Italy. J. Clin. Microbiol. 41: 2855-2861 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Robinson, D. A., Briles, D. E., Crain, M. J., Hollingshead, S. K. (2002). Evolution and Virulence of Serogroup 6 Pneumococci on a Global Scale. J. Bacteriol. 184: 6367-6375 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»