Research progress in the mechanism of molecular pathogenesis and drug resistance of hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae

Abstract:

Klebsiella pneumoniae is one of the common pathogens in nosocomial and community-acquired infections. The clinical specimen isolation rate of Klebsiella pneumoniae is only behind the Escherichia coli in Gram-negative bacteria. Klebsiella pneumoniaes are divided into classic Klebsiella pneumoniae and hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumonia according to the differences characteristics in virulence. Hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae is the main pathogen of suppurative liver abscess, and its infection can cause many endogenous metastases, including eye, lung and central nervous systems. Hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae is also associated with primary extrahepatic infections, including bacteremia, pneumonia, and soft tissue infections. It is noteworthy that in addition to causing severe infection in patients, hypervirulent strains resistant to carbapenem have emerged in recent years, which will bring more challenges in clinical diagnosis and treatment. In this paper, the epidemic status, the virulence factors (including capsular, iron carrier system and virulence genes), and the current status of drug resistance of hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae are reviewed.