RT Journal Article SR Electronic(1) A1 Reinert, Ralf René A1 Muckel, Stefanie A1 Al-Lahham, Adnan A1 Spratt, Brian G. A1 Brueggemann, Angela B. A1 Hakenbeck, Regine A1 Lütticken, RudolfYR 2003 T1 Characterization of German penicillin non-susceptible serotype 23F pneumococci using multilocus sequence typing JF Journal of Medical Microbiology, VO 52 IS 11 SP 981 OP 987 DO https://doi.org/10.1099/jmm.0.05216-0 PB Microbiology Society, SN 1473-5644, AB Three nationwide multicentre studies (n = 5071) showed an increase in antibiotic resistance in pneumococci in Germany. Serotype 23F was the predominant serotype (n = 45, 22.4 %), followed by 6B (n = 30, 14.9 %) and 9V (n = 19, 9.5 %). Multilocus sequence typing was used to characterize 45 serotype 23F strains with reduced penicillin susceptibility. The Spanish23F-1 clone [profile 4-4-2-4-4-1-1, sequence type (ST) 81] contributes significantly to the emergence of penicillin resistance in Germany (n = 21, 46.7 % of all penicillin non-susceptible serotype 23F isolates). Isolates of ST 277 (profile 7-13-8-6-6-12-8), which has been found previously in the Netherlands, are also observed, particularly in western Germany (n = 8, 17.8 %). A high proportion of strains (n = 11, 24.4 %) have sequence types that have not been reported to date from other countries (STs 353–362). The major penicillin-resistant clones are present in Germany, a country with relatively low levels of β-lactam resistance., UL https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/jmm/10.1099/jmm.0.05216-0