Increase in highly virulent Klebsiella pneumoniae, which is resistant to carbapenem, ECDC points out and sounds the alarm.
Within three years, the number of countries where the resistant strain of Klebsiella pneumoniae has been identified increased from 4 to 10, while confirmed cases jumped from 12 to 143.
Another cause for concern is that Klebsiella has acquired a variety of genes associated with resistance to carbapenems, a group of antibiotics used to treat serious infections as a last resort.
Dominique Monnet, at ECDC, Head of Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare-Associated Infections says, “the increases in carbapenem-resistant hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (hvKp) cases reported to ECDC from EU/EEA countries are of concern due to the severity of hvKp infections. Combined with their resistance to last-line antibiotics, it makes infections difficult to treat.”
The spread of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella in healthcare settings is expected to result in increased morbidity and mortality among vulnerable patient populations.
The risk of further spread of hvKp ST23-K1 within healthcare facilities is considered high, which is why ECDC is calling for mitigation measures.
Recommended measures include notifications to clinicians and clinical microbiology laboratories, establishment of adequate laboratory capacity to detect Klebsiella, submission of all suspected isolates to National Reference Laboratories, and enhanced infection prevention and control measures in hospitals where cases have been identified.
The history of klebsiella
In the past, Klebsiella strains were mainly found in Asia, were community-acquired, and only rarely were resistant to antibiotics. However, recent reports indicate increasing geographic distribution, healthcare association, and multidrug resistance.
Additional data collection on Klebsiella cases, including epidemiologic data and data-related risk factors, is needed to better understand national routes of spread and transmission and to determine the need for further surveillance and control measures.
The symptoms
Klebsiella strains usually cause:
- Pneumonia
- Urinary tract infections
- Nosocomial infections
- Abscesses with pus (pyogenic abscesses) in the liver
- Non-hepatic abscesses
- Necrotizing peritonitis
- Endophthalmitis (eye infection)
- Meningitis
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