Seasonality and outbreak of a predominant Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 1 clone from The Gambia: Expansion of ST217 hypervirulent clonal complex in West Africa

Abstract

For over a decade, isolates of ST618 have been the dominant lineage among serotype 1 carriage and disease isolates circulating in the Gambia. This lineage shows similar epidemiological features to those of the meningococcus in the African meningitis belt being able to cause outbreaks of disease.