Pneumococcal infections in the city of São Paulo: EUREQA project - a molecular epidemiology study

• Grant number: 09/00730-3
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: April 01, 2009
• End date: September 30, 2011
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology - Applied Microbiology
• Principal Investigator: Antonio Carlos Campos Pignatari
• Grantee: Antonio Carlos Campos Pignatari
• Host Institution: Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus São Paulo. São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Streptococcus pneumoniae is the most common etiologic agent of community acquired respirator infections and meningitis. In this study we intend to determine the prevalence serotypes of S. pneumoniae isolated at Hospital Sao Paulo and Fleury Medicina e Saúde according to geographical distribution in the Sao Paulo city, the penicillin and ceftriaxone resistance prevalence and geographical distribution, and to investigate the genetic diversity and patterns of dissemination in the Sao Paulo city. This study will be retrospective, period of January 2002 to December 2006, including 100 isolates of S. pneumoniae from both centers. Phenotypic microbiological and molecular techniques will be carried out including PFGE (Pulsed Field Gel Eletrophoresis), PCR and real-time capsular typing and MLST typing. Surveillance studies of S. pneumoniae isolates, including geoprocessing methodology, are important for an appropriated monitoring of the circulating serotypes and antimicrobial resistance in a determined geographic area. (AU)