A new serotyping method of S. pneumoniae using an automated microarray-based assay

Introduction / objectives Serotype replacement is a major concern following the introduction of polysaccharide-conjugated vaccine against S. pneumoniae and requires a close monitoring in the population. Antibody-based serotyping methods are expensive, semi quantitative, cross-reactions are common and a significant number of isolates cannot be typed. Multiplex PCR-based assays have been developed but quantification of PCR products remains problematic. To address these issues a novel PCR-based automated microarray assay was developed and tested on clinical samples.