Virulence factors and the pathogenesis of disease caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae.

Streptococcus pneumoniae is a major pathogen of man causing diseases such as pneumonia, meningitis and otitis media. The mechanisms by which this organism causes these diseases are still largely unknown. The use of molecular approaches to identifying and studying putative virulence factors in combination with the application of animal models has allowed some of the mechanisms of the disease process to be defined.