Abstract:
Objective To understand the prevalence of Streptococcus pneumoniae (SP) serotypes among children in Zaozhuang, Shandong from 2022 to 2023 and study the antibiotic resistance mechanism, pathogenic mechanis, and MLST typing characteristics of SP serotype 15B strains by whole genome sequencing, thus providing data support for vaccine development and clinical antibiotic treatment.
Methods A total of 87 SP isolates from children (≤ 14 years old) infected with pneumonia in Zaozhuang from 2022 to 2023 were collected. PCR was used for serotype testing. Antimicrobial sensitivity tests, whole genome sequencing, and bioinformatics analysis were conducted for SP serotype 15B strains.
Results The SP serotypes prevalent in this region were mainly 19F (41.4%), 6B (18.4%), 15B (13.8%), and 23F (11.5%). The serotype coverage rate of the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) was 77%, and that of 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23) was 92%. SP serotype 15B had a resistance rate of 100% to clindamycin, erythromycin, tetracycline, and compound sulfamethoxazole, with the multi-drug resistance rate of 100%. SP serotype 15B carried resistance genes ermB, rlmA(Ⅱ), tetM, patA, patB, and pmrA. The resistance genes (ermB, rlmA(Ⅱ), and tetM) and resistance phenotypes were consistent. All the SP serotype 15B strains carried virulence genes cbpG, pce/cbpE, pavA, pfbA, lmb, slrA, plr/gapA, cbpD, lytA, lytB, lytC, hysA, nanA, nanB, eno, cps4A, cps4B, cps4C, cps4D, zmpB, iga, cppA, htrA/degP, tig/ropA, piaA, psaA, piuA, and ply. Most (83.3%) of them carried pspA, and a small portion (16.7%) carried pspC/cbpA, srtB, srtC, srtD, rrgA, rrgB, and rrgC. ST9785 was the main sequence type of SP serotype 15B in this region.
Conclusions The serotype 15B is the predominant PPSV23 serotype among the strains not covered by PCV13, and ST9785 is the main sequence type. SP serotype 15B in this region is fully resistant to clindamycin, erythromycin, tetracycline, and methoxybenzylamine/sulfamethoxazole and shows severe multi-drug resistance.