Genetic relatedness of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates from paired blood and respiratory specimens

Abstract

To assess the relatedness of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates recovered concurrently from blood and respiratory tract specimens from patients with pneumonia, we analyzed 24 paired isolates by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), serotyping, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing. PFGE, serotype, and/or susceptibility patterns were identical for 22 of 24 pairs. Susceptibility results for blood isolates should guide therapy. Copyright © 2007, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.