Genome sequencing of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates. Diversity of Streptococcus pneumoniae

Streptococcus pneumoniae (the pneumococcus) is an important human pathogen throughout the world, accounting for several million deaths each year. It is one of the most common causes of pneumonia and a significant cause of meningitis, otitis media and bacteraemia. Bacterial genome sequencing is an important tool in understanding pneumococcal-host interactions.