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Home › Products & Services › Infectious Diseases › Laboratories and Reference Facilities › Respiratory and Systemic Infection Laboratory (RSIL) ›Streptococcus and Diphtheria Reference Unit ›  Pneumococci (Streptococcus pneumoniae) Laboratory Services
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Pneumococci (Streptococcus pneumoniae) Laboratory Services

The Streptococcus and Diphtheria Reference Unit (SDRU) offers serological classification and epidemiological typing of pneumococci. There are currently over 90 different pneumococcal capsular polysaccharide serotypes based upon the Danish classification scheme. Capsular typing of pneumococci may be helpful in the investigation of instances of suspected cross-infection in hospitals, other residential institutions and day care centres (or similar) for children.The laboratory is happy to discuss and advise upon particular clinical or epidemiological problems and outbreak investigations, ask for Dr Androulla Efstratiou (020 8327 7270) or Dr Mary Slack (020 8327 6091) in the first instance.

Presently available and likely future, pneumococcal vaccines contain specific, common, capsular polysaccharide antigens. For this reason it is important to monitor the capsular type distribution of isolates from invasive disease in both adults and children.

We request submission of ALL blood, CSF and other "sterile site" isolates from episodes of invasive disease for this national surveillance function of our laboratory. Results of serotyping of these isolates are shared with the Immunisation, Hepatitis and Blood Safety Department Health Protection Services: Colindale and contribute to National Surveillance.

SDRU liaise closely with the Antibiotic Resistance Monitoring and Reference Laboratory (ARMRL) in studies of antibiotic resistant pneumococci.
 

TURNROUND TIME:

  • The turnaround time is 10 days.
  • In period of very heavy workload priority will be given to isolates referred from children (see below).

How to obtain service

Use the R3 Streptococcus & diphtheria referral form (PDF, 349 KB) and supply pure culture on blood or chocolate agar slopes.

Specimen submissions regarded by the sending laboratory as urgent should be notified to SDRU by telephone (020 8327 7270/7289) to ensure that the appropriate level of priority is accorded to these specimens immediately upon receipt.

Other information

Some of the 90 serogroups/serotypes may be divided into specific serotypes or subtypes i.e.; types carrying the same number but different letters, e.g. 6A, 6B, 9A, 9L, 9V. Subtyping is undertaken on all sterile site isolates, in particular for any episode of systemic infection associated with possible vaccine failure.

The more common serotypes are currently (October 2011), in order of prevalence, 19A, 8, 22F, 1, 6C and 15A.

RSIL, together with the Immunisation, Hepatitis and Blood Safety Department of Health Protection Services: Colindale, are actively following up all cases of invasive pneumococcal disease in the childhood age groups targeted for vaccination in order to ascertain immunisation history and determine vaccine effectiveness. This applies to anyone born after 4th September 2004.


Last reviewed: 24 February 2012