Klebsiella pneumoniae

Klebsiella pneumoniae is a Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacterium that commonly inhabits the human gut and can cause pneumonia, bloodstream infections, and other diseases.

Polysaccharide capsule: A surface layer of complex sugars that can protect bacteria from host defenses. Klebsiella pneumoniae's capsule helps it resist immune clearance and is a major virulence factor.
Bacterial culture: A laboratory method that grows bacteria from a clinical or environmental sample for identification and testing. Cultures can identify Klebsiella pneumoniae in blood, urine, sputum, or other samples.
Klebsiella pneumonia: Pneumonia caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae, ranging from community-onset disease to hospital-associated infection. This is the disease pattern most directly associated with the species' name.
Klebsiella: A genus of Gram-negative bacteria that includes several species found in humans and the environment. Klebsiella pneumoniae is one species within this bacterial genus.
Lipopolysaccharide: A component of the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria that can trigger strong inflammation. Its endotoxin can contribute to the inflammatory response during Klebsiella infection.
Antimicrobial susceptibility testing: Laboratory testing that measures whether bacteria are inhibited by particular antimicrobial drugs. Susceptibility results help guide treatment when a Klebsiella isolate is resistant to common antibiotics.
Klebsiella liver abscess syndrome: An invasive infection, often caused by hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae, involving a liver abscess and possible spread elsewhere. It illustrates how some strains cause invasive disease beyond the respiratory tract.
Enterobacterales: An order of Gram-negative bacteria that includes many intestinal organisms and important pathogens. The species belongs to this order, which also contains several related pathogens.
Antimicrobial resistance: The ability of microorganisms to survive exposure to drugs that would ordinarily inhibit or kill them. Drug resistance can make infections caused by this bacterium difficult to treat.
Carbapenemase test: A laboratory assay that detects enzymes capable of breaking down carbapenem antibiotics. Testing can identify carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella and inform infection-control responses.

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