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The World Health Organization issued a global health alert in late July over an antimicrobial resistance, hypervirulent strain of Klebsiella pneumoniae sequence type (ST) 23 (hvKp ST23).
WHO said the “carbapenemase genes. K. pneumoniae strains that can cause severe infections in healthy individuals and have been identified with increasing frequency in recent years are considered hypervirulent compared to classical strains because of their ability to infect both healthy and immunocompromised individuals and because of their increased tendency to produce invasive infections.”
The presence of hvKp ST23 was reported in at least one country across all of WHO’s six region, suggesting this is a global crisis. (TAKE A POLL: Do You Support Universal Healthcare?)
What Happened?
“In early 2024, the Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Surveillance System on Emerging Antimicrobial Resistance Reporting (GLASS-EAR) issued a request for information to the Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Surveillance System (GLASS) Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) National Focal points enrolled in GLASS-AMR (n=124). The aim was to rapidly assess the current global situation given the increased identification of isolates of hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (hvKp) sequence type (ST) 23 carrying resistant genes to the carbapenem antibiotics – carbapenemase genes – reported in several countries,” WHO wrote.
This basically means WHO wanted to collect data from 124 different countries in order to get a clearer picture of how the spread of hvKp ST23 was actually impacting health organizations and structures.
Unfortunately, only 43 of the 124 countries bothered to response to WHO’s request. This means the “information and knowledge on the mechanisms that enhance the ability of the bacteria to cause the disease are still incomplete. More research is needed to develop diagnostic tools that are available in countries with limited laboratory capacity, allowing rapid identification of infections caused by hvKp strains.”
What Is This Disease?
The disease is a Gram-negative bacteria often found in the environment, which colonizes in the upper part of the throat and intestinal tract. “K. pneumoniae is a leading cause of infections acquired in health-care institutions globally and has been considered an opportunistic pathogen, as it typically causes infections in hospitalized or immunocompromised individuals,” WHO added.
“K. pneumoniae strains that can cause severe infections in healthy individuals and have been identified with increasing frequency in recent years are considered hypervirulent compared to classical strains because of their ability to infect both healthy and immunocompromised individuals and because of their increased tendency to produce invasive infections,” the organization added.
WHO is asking all member states to continuously increase their laboratory diagnostic capabilities in order to complete early detection and identification of hbKp ST23. (TAKE A POLL: Are You Satisfied With the Quality of Healthcare You Receive?)
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