Serotypes of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolated from cerebrospinal fluid

Abstract

Since 1977, the Instituto Adolfo Lutz (IAL) is having interest in the scrotyping of S. pneumoniae or pneumococcus from infections caused by this bacteria. The isolated strains have been sent to the WHO Pneumococcal Reference Center, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.. From 1977 to 1988, 1.000 pneumococcus strains isolated from cerebrospinal fluid were typed, according to Danish nomenclature, and 60 serotypes were identified. The most frequent serotypes were 1, 6B, 18C, 14, 5, 3, 6A, 23F, 19F, and 38. Among different age groups, they showed a variable incidence, with serotype 6B in the ages of zero to almost 2 years old, serotype 1 in the age group of 2 to 50 years old, and serotype 3 in the ages over 50. During the 12 years study, 25 serotypes showed some uniformity in the frequency, the same as with the seasonal fluctuations. Concerning the severity of the pneumococcal infections, chiefly meningitis, and the few information related to pneumococcus serotypes which occur in the area, it was considered of high relevance to have the information of serotypes, once polyssacharide vaccines have been employed with success to prevent these infections.