Virulence characteristics of Klebsiella and clinical manifestations of K. pneumoniae bloodstream infections.

Abstract

We studied 455 consecutive episodes of Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteremia occurring in 7 countries. Community-acquired pneumonia and an invasive syndrome of liver abscess, meningitis, or endophthalmitis occurred only in Taiwan and South Africa. Infections by K1 and K2 capsular serotype, the mucoid phenotype, and aerobactin production were important determinants of virulence. The mucoid phenotype was seen in 94% of isolates in patients with community-acquired pneumonia and in 100% of isolates that caused the invasive syndrome in Taiwan and South Africa, compared with only 2% of isolates elsewhere. Mortality of mice injected with mucoid strains (69%) was strikingly higher than that occurring in mice injected with nonmucoid strains (3%, p < 0.001). Differences in clinical features of bacteremic infection with K. pneumoniae are due to the virulence factors expressed by the organism.

• Authors: Victor L Yu, Dennis S Hansen, Wen Chien Ko, Asia Sagnimeni, Keith P Klugman, Anne von Gottberg, Herman Goossens, Marilyn M Wagener, Vicente J Benedi, International Klebseilla Study Group
• Journal: Emerging infectious diseases (Emerg Infect Dis) Vol. 13 Issue 7 Pg. 986-93 (Jul 2007) ISSN: 1080-6040 [Print] United States
• PMID: 18214169 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Antigens, Bacterial
• Polysaccharides, Bacterial
• capsular polysaccharide K1
• capsular polysaccharide K2

Topics

• Animals
• Antigens, Bacterial
• Bacteremia (epidemiology, microbiology, pathology)
• Bacterial Capsules
• Biological Assay
• Community-Acquired Infections
• Disease Outbreaks
• Female
• Humans
• Klebsiella Infections (epidemiology, microbiology, pathology)
• Klebsiella pneumoniae (classification, pathogenicity)
• Liver Abscess (epidemiology, microbiology, pathology)
• Meningitis, Bacterial (epidemiology, microbiology, pathology)
• Mice
• Mice, Inbred C57BL
• Phenotype
• Polysaccharides, Bacterial
• Prospective Studies
• Risk Factors
• Serotyping
• South Africa (epidemiology)
• Taiwan (epidemiology)
• Virulence