The ECDC has sounded the alarm regarding the dangerous, highly contagious microbe, which is becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics and spreading across Europe. This is a klebsiella that until a few years ago was mainly found in Asia.
From 2021 to today, however, the number of EU countries where the microbe has been detected has more than doubled, the European Center for Disease Control and Prevention (ECDC) announced.
In 2021, the microbe was found in just four, while now there are 10: Denmark, Finland, France, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands and Norway. Ireland has by far the most cases. 87 have been found, when in all countries together 143 have been recorded.
The corresponding number of cases in 2021 was just 12 in the four countries. France is now second in frequency, with 13 cases.
Even more worrying, however, is the fact that highly contagious Klebsiella is increasingly acquiring genes associated with resistance to carbapenems, a group of antibiotics that are the last resort for treating serious infections, the ECDC points out.
Increasing resistance to these antibiotics leaves patients vulnerable to Klebsiella. How serious and what are the infections it causes?
According to scientists from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH), Klebsiella pneumonia, as the full name of the microbe is, has classical and hyperinfectious (hypertransmissible) strains. Classical Klebsiella strains usually cause in immunocompromised patients:
Pneumonia
Urinary tract infections
Nosocomial infections
Accordingly, hyperinfectious strains can cause a variety of problems, including:
Abscesses with pus (pyogenic abscesses) in the liver
Non-hepatic abscesses
Pneumonia
Necrotizing peritonitis
Endophthalmitis (eye infection)
Meningitis
In fact, serious infections from highly contagious strains can also be observed in people who are healthy, i.e. without underlying health problems, emphasizes the ECDC.
Highly transmissible Klebsiella was first recognized in the 1990s in Taiwan. For many years therefollowing it was mainly found in Asia, where it spread mainly in the community. In rare cases, it showed resistance to antibiotics.
Unfortunately, however, in recent years it has been spreading across the planet. Even more serious, however, is the fact that it has invaded hospitals and other places where vulnerable people are cared for. And, the newest finding, is that it is becoming multi-resistant to antibiotics.
This combination leads the ECDC to warn that its spread in healthcare settings “is expected to lead to increased morbidity and mortality among vulnerable populations”.
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