Klebsiella pneumoniae
Quick Summary
Klebsiella pneumoniae is a type of rod-shaped bacterium belonging to the Enterobacteriaceae family. It is gram-negative, facultative anaerobic, and nonmotile. These bacteria are found in soil, water, and on plants, with some strains naturally present in the human gastrointestinal tract.1
K. pneumoniae, also known as Friedländer's bacillus, is primarily recognized as a pathogen that causes pneumonia in the human respiratory system. This type of pneumonia typically affects individuals with pre-existing health conditions like alcoholism or chronic pulmonary disease and is often acquired in hospital settings. While some Klebsiella infections can be treated with antibiotics like penicillin, the emergence of drug-resistant strains, such as those resistant to beta-lactam antibiotics due to carbapenemase production, necessitates combination therapy. Other Klebsiella species can cause urinary tract and wound infections.1
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pneumoniaBacterial pneumoniaAnother bacterium, Klebsiella pneumoniae, although it has little ability to infect the lungs of healthy persons, produces a highly lethal pneumonia that occurs almost exclusively in hospitalized patients with impaired immunity. Other bacterial pneumonias include Legionnaire disease, caused by Legionella pneumophila; pneumonia secondary to other illnesses caused…
Read MoreAnother bacterium, Klebsiella pneumoniae, although it has little ability to infect the lungs of healthy persons, produces a highly lethal pneumonia that occurs almost exclusively in hospitalized patients with impaired immunity. Other bacterial pneumonias include Legionnaire disease, caused by Legionella pneumophila; pneumonia secondary to other illnesses caused…
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respiratory diseasePneumoniaPneumonia due to infection with Klebsiella pneumoniae may be difficult to treat and characteristically may occur as a repetitive series of episodes of pneumonia, each running a rather long course with slow resolution.
Read MorePneumonia due to infection with Klebsiella pneumoniae may be difficult to treat and characteristically may occur as a repetitive series of episodes of pneumonia, each running a rather long course with slow resolution.
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