Upsurge of pneumococcal clade I-α/CC180 serotype 3 and its association with a LytA mutation linked to immune evasion and disease potential: an observational and experimental study - PubMed
2 hours ago
- #Bacterial virulence
- #Streptococcus pneumoniae
- #Vaccine evasion
- Serotype 3 pneumococcus is a major cause of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) and is linked to vaccine failures.
- In Spain, clade I-α/CC180 lineage of serotype 3 has become predominant, showing increased resistance to immune clearance and enhanced lung infectivity.
- A key mutation (His166Tyr) in the virulence factor LytA increases its enzymatic activity and contributes to immune evasion in the CC180 lineage.
- The CC180 lineage is significantly associated with cardiac and respiratory comorbidities in IPD patients.
- PCV13 vaccine reduced IPD from the susceptible CC260 lineage, but was followed by replacement with the more virulent CC180 lineage.