The ongoing genetic adaptation of streptococcus pneumoniae

Abstract

Streptococcus pneumoniae has demonstrated a remarkable ability to adapt during the conjugate vaccine era. The increasing incidence of serotype 35B disease and emergence of a multidrug-resistant clone reported in this issue of the Journal of Clinical Microbiology (L. Olarte et al., J Clin Microbiol 55:724 -734, 2017, https:// doi.org/10.1128/JCM.01778-16) underscore the limitations of pneumococcal vaccines that target the polysaccharide capsule.