Global population structure and phase variation of serotype 12F Streptococcus pneumoniae following the introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine
Thi N M Huynh, Alannah C. King, Jason Chen Qixiang, Kathryn M Mulvihill, Hayley Demetriou, Kate C. Mellor, Rebecca A. Gladstone, Gemma G. R. Murray, Oliver Lorenz, Harry C. H. Hung, Teodora Mateeva, Sonu Shrestha, Sarah A. Kelly, Andrew John Pollard, Shrijana Shrestha, , Stephanie W. Lo
This study characterizes the global population structure and genetic diversity of serotype 12F Streptococcus pneumoniae, identifying strand-slippage mutations as a mechanism for capsule variation and vaccine evasion.
bioRxiv · Apr 7, 2026 · PreprintGenomics