Welcome to the ISPPD 2022 Meeting Calendar

In this session we will try to address the question of why S. pneumoniae is a common bacterial pathogen whereas its closest relative S. mitis only rarely causes serious infections, with an emphasis on the role of the capsule.
(1) Describe what we know of the only recently acknowledged capsular serotype overlap between pneumococci and related species in contemporary carriage surveys; discuss potential impact on pneumococcal epidemiology and vaccinology.
(2) Describe and discuss the comparative phenotypes of S. mitis and S. pneumoniae strains expressing capsules of the same serotype.
(3) Further discussion of S. mitis and S. pneumoniae phenotypes relevant for virulence related to genotypic differences.

Please note: All MTE sessions are designed to encourage active learning and to concentrate on close interaction between audience and speakers. The MTE session organisers have provided at least 15 minutes for active discussions in their agenda.