Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41057336›Full record

ArticleNature communications2025

Within-host genetic diversity of pneumococcal serotype 3 during one-year prolonged carriage in a healthy adult.

Lusako L Sibale, Stephanie W Lo, Newton Kalata, Tinashe K Nyazika, Ndaona Mitole, Victoria Dyster, Alice Kusakala, Mercy Khwiya, Gift Sagawa, Joseph A Phiri and 9 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

19 authors.

Lusako L SibaleMalawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Programme, Blantyre, Malawi. lsibale@mlw.mw.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5378-3561
Stephanie W LoParasites and Microbes, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2182-0222
Newton KalataMalawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Programme, Blantyre, Malawi.
Tinashe K NyazikaDepartment of Biomedical Sciences and Physiology, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Wolverhampton, Wolverhampton, UK.
Ndaona MitoleMalawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Programme, Blantyre, Malawi.
Victoria DysterParasites and Microbes, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK.
Alice KusakalaMalawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Programme, Blantyre, Malawi.
Mercy KhwiyaMalawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Programme, Blantyre, Malawi.
Gift SagawaMalawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Programme, Blantyre, Malawi.
Joseph A PhiriMalawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Programme, Blantyre, Malawi.
Akuzike Kalizang'omaMalawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Programme, Blantyre, Malawi.
Todd D SwarthoutResearch Department of Infection, Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, UK.
Ken MalisitaLighthouse-Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Gateway Health Centre, Blantyre, Malawi.
Arox W Kamng'onaSchool of Life Science and Allied Health Professions, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Blantyre, Malawi.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0841-7586
Robert S HeydermanResearch Department of Infection, Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4573-449X
Stephen D BentleyParasites and Microbes, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8094-3751
Brenda A Kwambana-AdamsMalawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Programme, Blantyre, Malawi.
Chrispin Chaguza *Parasites and Microbes, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK.
Kondwani C Jambo *Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Programme, Blantyre, Malawi. kondwani.jambo@lstmed.ac.uk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3195-2210

Funding

DH | National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) 16/136/46Wellcome Trust
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Streptococcus pneumoniae adapts within hosts through genetic variation and genome plasticity, facilitating persistence under antibiotic and immune pressures. Here, we investigated a prolonged pneumococcal carriage episode (>337 days) in a healthy, HIV-uninfected adult in Malawi. Whole-genome sequencing of single-colony isolates and plate sweep samples confirmed persistent colonisation by a multidrug-resistant serotype 3 strain with a distinct sequence type (GPSC10-ST18362), which maintained stable predominance despite transient acquisition of other serotypes. The sequentially sampled isolates showed 2 to 11 single-nucleotide polymorphism differences, no evidence of recombination, and modest gene loss involving mobile genetic elements. The total genome size decreased from 2.06 Mb to 2.03 Mb across isolates. Intrahost single-nucleotide variants were identified in genes related to metabolism, stress response, and DNA repair, but showed no consistent signatures of positive selection. Capsular locus analysis revealed deletions consistent with GPSC10-related vaccine-escape profiles. These findings highlight the capacity of GPSC10-ST18362 to persist asymptomatically for months with limited within-host genomic diversity.

Indexed as

Carrier StateGenetic VariationPneumococcal InfectionsStreptococcus pneumoniaeAdultDrug Resistance, Multiple, BacterialFemaleGenome, BacterialHumansMalawiMalePolymorphism, Single NucleotideSerogroupWhole Genome Sequencing

Identifiers

PMID41057336
PMCPMC12504720

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.