Analysis of phylogenetic diversity and in vitro adherence characteristics of respiratory syncytial virus and Streptococcus pneumoniae clinical isolates obtained during pediatric respiratory co-infections.

This study did not identify any statistically significant trend in the strains of RSV and S. pneumoniae associated with co-infections. Furthermore, almost all isolates (22 of 23) showed significantly increased adherence to RSV-infected cells. The level of adherence did not appear to correlate with pneumococcal strain or sequence type, and isolates obtained from RSV-infected patients displayed a similar level of adherence as those from RSV-negative patients. The absence of particular S. pneumoniae or RSV strains associated with co-infection, together with the near ubiquitous presence of RSV-mediated adhesion throughout the pneumococcal clinical isolates, may indicate that the mechanisms governing the association with RSV are of sufficient importance to be maintained across much of the species. PMID: 31714201 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Microbiology - Category: Microbiology Authors: Tags: Microbiology Source Type: research